Thunderdog: A True Story of A Blind Man, a Guide Dog, and the Triumph of TRUST at GROUND ZERO
Overview
A blind man and his guide dog show the power of trust and courage in the midst of devastating terror.
It was 12:30 a.m. on 9/11 and Roselle whimpered at Michael’s bedside. A thunderstorm was headed east, and she could sense the distant rumbles while her owners slept. As a trained guide dog, when she was “on the clock” nothing could faze her. But that morning, without her harness, she was free to be scared, and she nudged Michael’s hand with her wet nose as it draped over the bedside toward the floor. She needed him to wake up.
With a busy day of meetings and an important presentation ahead, Michael slumped out of bed, headed to his home office, and started chipping away at his daunting workload. Roselle, shivering, took her normal spot at his feet and rode out the storm while he typed. By all indications it was going to be a normal day. A busy day, but normal nonetheless. Until they went into the office.
In Thunder Dog, follow Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, as their lives are changed forever by two explosions and 1,463 stairs. When the first plane struck Tower One, an enormous boom, frightening sounds, and muffled voices swept through Michael’s office while shards of glass and burning scraps of paper fell outside the windows.
But in this harrowing story of trust and courage, discover how blindness and a bond between dog and man saved lives and brought hope during one of America’s darkest days.
MY Review:
I absolutely loved this book. This man and his dog went through so much and both showed an extreme amount of perserverance. I was simply amazed at how much they survived together. To add that to the fact that the survival and perserverance was put forth on one of the hardest days of this nation, just makes it all the more better of a read. I gave the book four stars. I think there are some area's that could be improved on -- a little more attention to Roselle (not that it is easy focusing on a dog who is the object of the story..they aren't "really" like human characters) and also a little less focusing on the feelings of Michael Hingson. The story was written more in the here and now of Michael's feelings/thoughts than the fact that the book was supposed to be a "doggie story."
However, I love the fact that through this story we learn how the owners of guide dogs get where they are, how they bond (or sometimes not), and how they survive as one to make the best of this world through blind eyes. I find that this was very enlightening and an encouraging story about 9/11, a man and his guide dog and there significant overcoming situations (there were well more than one). I would definately read this again and plan on keeping this book in my library. People who love dogs, biography type stories and real life situations will LOVE this book. I definately recommend it!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
