Ginnie Bedggood and her partner Grahame relocated to the Dominican Republic in the early 1990s and her book tells their story with great wit and sensitivity. This is, in essence, the secret of her success as an expatriate as well as a writer. Expats and their memoirs are destined to triumph when instead of focusing on the local folks and their strange ways, the writers acknowledge and understand that they are the foreigners and that it is their ways that are perceived as weird by the locals.This book scores very high on this count. Ginnie combines a sense of humour with a sense of proportion, and a perceptive and positive attitude towards the frustrations of life in the DR that so many foreigners find so hard to cope with – while never, ever suffering fools gladly. Ginnie accepts that things are done differently here, but neither is she afraid of putting her foot down when someone crosses the line. Many, but not all of the fools she encounters along the way are visiting foreigners and would-be relocators, many of whom turn out to be comically clueless.
Another ingredient in the author’s recipe for success is that she learned Spanish well enough to live outside the expat bubble, understanding, communicating and interacting with Dominicans, who along with foreigners make up Ginnie and Grahame’s circle of friends.
Mad Dogs and English Couple is an easy and compelling read, telling the story of this particular couple’s early years in the DR, first as tenants and employees in the travel industry, then as B&B proprietors, writers and relocation advisers. Their optimism shines through: the story ends with them defying all advice and successfully building a house of their own, while at the same time tenaciously supporting a fellow foreigner who spent over a year in prison on trumped-up charges.
The ‘mad’ dogs of the title, who are not really that mad, feature throughout, but unlike some other animal-loving authors, Ginnie doesn’t let them take over.
What I would have liked to see more of were descriptions of the city and the surrounding areas, and a little more historical and cultural context, especially bearing in mind that many of her readers will have never been to Puerto Plata or the
I was sorry to reach the end of the book, but was reassured to note that the narrative finishes in the year 2000, so presumably a sequel or two may still be up Ginnie’s sleeve.
By Ilana BenadyOriginally published in Dominican Today. Re-published with permission from the author.
