The land and the house she lives in have belonged to the family for almost three centuries. Already fading into poverty, her father recently gambled and lost a chunk of the estate. His plan is to spend Easter at an Atlantic City casino winning back the lost acres. With the Dalton parents drinking and fighting more, winning will not turn back the clock and make the home a safe haven for Trisha and her sisters.

DOG PEOPLE is an excellent tale of a dysfunctional family spinning further into depravation and destruction. Though extremely well written, the story line does not have a happy ending (rightfully so). Trisha is the narrator and she stereotypes the world into independent cat people and dependent dog people. In her mind, her parents are the latter. It is TrishaÆs child-like philosophy compared to a nation coming out of a child-like trance that makes this must reading for those who enjoy a relationship drama, albeit one that is failing.