The Friend

 The Friend by Sigrid Nunez (2018) 212 pages

Longtime friend of a man who has committed suicide is asked by the man's wife if she'll take the man's dog. The dog is a Great Dane that the man had found alone and tagless in a park. The narrator (never named) reluctantly agrees, although the terms of her apartment lease specify that no dogs are allowed. 

What follows is an adjustment period for both the dog and the woman, who are both in mourning. It's hard to hide a Great Dane, even when he's a quiet dog, and the apartment manager sees her with the dog and eventually reports the infraction to the owners. This prompts a series of notices from the owners for the woman to remove the dog or to vacate the building.

Meanwhile, the woman continues to consider the life of her friend and conversations they'd had; it's apparent that she had strong feelings for him. Once upon a time, the man had been her professor. He became a well-known writer, a Romeo type who married three times and had a large number of girlfriends and lovers over the years. As the woman battles depression and the apartment owners, her relationship with the dog deepens. It's a good story, although it's not at all clear to me if the title refers to the woman, the man, or the dog. Perhaps all three.