Connie’s Book Club – Spring 2014
Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life with Dogs
In the aptly titled Devoted, Rebecca Ascher-Walsh offers a touching and heartwarming look at the love and devotion between dogs and humans when they need each other most. This compilation of amazing dog stories—from dogs who comfort veterans and detect cancer to dogs that save the day—will inspire and delight. You may just want to give your dog a big hug when you are through.
Dog Gone, Back Soon
Bestselling author Nick Trout’s charming, funny, and captivating novel Dog Gone, Back Soon tells the story of Dr. Cyrus Mills’ reluctant inheritance of his estranged father’s momand- pop veterinary practice. Returning to his childhood home to take on the practice, Mills soon learns that he loves the work and people, but that he must fight for it—the business is threatened by a national chain of veterinary offices. His life grows more complicated with his competition for a local woman’s affections and, yet more still, when he finds himself the guardian of a uniquely talented dog. This delightful sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs proves that everyone, dogs and people alike, deserve a second chance.
My Gentle Barn
In this extraordinary memoir, Ellie Laks weaves together her personal journey and triumph over past abuse and addiction with the story of how she came to found her nonprofit rescue organization, The Gentle Barn. Her remarkable work with abused, neglected, and unwanted animals is unfailingly moving, as are the accounts of the healing effects these animals have on the despairing humans, many of them children, who find profound connections with them. Laks is an inspiration and her moving book is a must-read. Guaranteed to delight both memoir and animal fans.
Pukka's Promise
Author Ted Kerasote vowed to give his dog, Pukka, the best and longest life possible after losing his dog Merle. To learn everything he possibly could about giving a dog its best life he did his homework on every topic he could think of: feeding, vaccinations, train and properly live alongside canine companions. Kerasote digs into all of these topics, going beyond conventional wisdom and coming out with the world of new information that is insightful, and potentially surprising, even for seasoned and knowledgeable dog lovers. He offers this information interwoven with anecdotes of raising his beloved Pukka. A must-read for any dog lover.
Flash’s Song: How One Small Dog Turned into One Big Miracle
This inspiring and enlightening memoir relates author Kay Pflatz’s heartbreakingly joy-filled last months with her Dachshund Flash following the diagnosis of the dog’s terminal illness. Flash’s immense joie de vivre and Pflatz’s remarkable attitude turn the dire initial three-week prognosis into a five-and-half-month celebration in which Pfaltz learns more about family, herself, and the power of love than she could have ever thought possible. This ultimately uplifting story is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever loved and lost a dog.
An Unexpected Grace
In this terrific, uplifting novel, Lila, a woman traumatized by a tragic shooting in her office, retreats from life. But the universe has other plans for her, and she finds herself caring for Grace, an abused Golden Retriever who is also recovering from past wounds. As the bond between these two grows, their spirits begin to heal and Lila finds the strength to again open herself to the world. Kreisler deftly shows how the love between a dog and a person can prove transformative.
Puppy Mill Survivors
Puppy Mill Survivors is filled with photos of adorable, smiling dogs, which is always a win in our books. But it’s the accompanying stories that relate these dogs’ origins as puppy mill “breeders” that really makes it noteworthy. By turns heartbreaking and heartwarming, it shines a light on the horrendous realities of commercial breeding facilities, and, in doing so, provides a testament to the resiliency of the canine spirit and the goodness of the many people involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of these dogs. McDaniel profiles each dog’s painful backstory and their happy ending, hopefully inspiring would-be puppy purchasers to consider the implications of buying that puppy in the window.
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