In Other Words: For the Dogs

While walking my crazy rat terrier this past week, watching her antics, I was reminded of all the great dog books that have recently .

Here are a few titles: 

Following Atticus : 48 high peaks, one little dog, and an extraordinary friendship by Tom Ryan: Middle-aged and overweight, newspaperman Tom Ryan and miniature schnauzer Atticus are an unlikely pair of mountaineers. After Tom’s friend dies of cancer, the two pay tribute to her by trying to climb all 48 of New Hampshire's 4,000-foot peaks twice in one winter to raise money for charity. At the heart of this goal is a relationship that is also a story of transformation: how a five-pound puppy pierces the heart of a tough newspaperman, opening his eyes to the world's beauty and its possibilities.

Until Tuesday : a wounded warrior and the golden retriever who saved him by Luis Carlos Montalván: Captain Montalvan returned home from a second tour in Iraq, lucky to survive stab wounds, traumatic brain injury, and three broken vertebrae. But his physical disabilities, agoraphobia, and crippling PTSD drive him to the brink. That's when he meets Tuesday, the golden retriever. Tuesday comes with his own history of challenges: from the Puppies Behind Bars program, to a home for troubled boys, to the streets of Manhattan, Tuesday blessed many before meeting Montalvan.

Rin Tin Tin : the life and the legend by Susan Orlean: After spending  his childhood in an orphanage, young soldier Lee Duncan discovers on the battlefield of WWI France the puppy that will make him one of Hollywood's top dog trainers, and become his life's guiding purpose. The book follows Rin Tin Tin's trajectory from early Hollywood's "Poverty Row," where Duncan sought the dog's first film deal, to celebrity status in silent films, radio, and television. Though Rin Tin Tin's fame began to dim in later years, Duncan never stopped grooming more Rin Tin Tins.

Dogs Don't Lie : a Pru Marlowe pet noir by Clea Simon: Pru Marlowe is an animal psychic who left the big city to return to her picturesque Berkshires hometown looking for a little peace. But her training as an animal behaviorist gets her mixed up with Lily, a rescue dog, and Charles, Lily’s owner. Now Charles is dead, and Lily looks good for it. After all, Lily is a pitbull, a fighting-ring dropout, and way too traumatized to give Pru a clear picture of what she has … (...read more)witnessed. But Pru knows something about bad girls trying to clean up, and, with a sense of justice strong enough to overcome her dislike of human society, she takes the case.

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron: The remarkable story of one endearing dog's search for his purpose over the course of several lives, trying to answer one of life's most basic question: Why are we here? Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious after a short life as a stray mutt, Bailey's search for life's meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8 year old Ethan. During their adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a good dog. But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of Bailey's journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders, will he ever find his purpose? Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh out loud funny, this book is a dog's eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend.