Book Review: “One Good Dog”

  Posted on April 6, 2011  by Joy of Living  No comments

I found this book reviewed in a magazine I read a few months ago, based on the review I added it to my list of ones to read, and after finishing it today I’m very glad I did!

There are many “a man and his dog” books available, I’ve read a few of them, but I haven’t read one with quite the character Susan Wilson puts into One Good Dog.

The book is told from the perspective of both man and dog.  The man, Adam March, is a corporate ladder-climber that has a meltdown one day at the office and loses the posh career and lifestyle he’s become accustomed to.  After the meltdown, his wife divorces him, daughter avoids him and he is forced to perform community service at a local homeless shelter.

The canine side of the story is from Chance’s perspective, a pit bull that was trained to fight but eventually finds a way to escape.  Chance is quite articulate and perceptive, not traits that would commonly be applied to the breed, but it works the way Wilson tells his story.

Through a series of events, Adam and Chance meet and eventually become a pack of two.  They’re both grizzled, not ones to easily trust or care for the other, but over time that does change.

Not everything in this story is pleasant, Chance speaks quite frankly of the fight experience and Adam is shocked to discover what became of his long-lost sister.

This book is a great example of the bond that can and very often does develop between dog (yes, even pit bulls!) and owner.  I would very highly recommend it to anyone that is a dog lover!