Synopses & Reviews
New and Noteworthy from USA TodayA Best New Book of the Week from People "This book will grab your heart and not let go." —John Grogan, author of Marley & Me
“A wise, engaging meditation on dogs, love, and recovery from pain. Come. Sit. Read!” —Lily King, author of Euphoria and The Pleasing Hour
“If you’ve ever loved a dog, this book is a must-read.” —Missourian
The Sanctuary is a refuge for strays and rescued dogs. Evie has joined a training program there, though she knows almost nothing about animals. Like the greyhound who won’t move, the Rottweiler with attitude problems, or the hound who might be a candidate for search-and-rescue, Evie has a troubled past. But as they all learn, no one should stay prisoner to a life she didn’t choose. Heartfelt and hilarious in turn, this is a deeply moving story of the countless ways in which humans and canines help each other find new lives, new selves, and new hope.
“This is a miracle of a book . . . Cooney is such a wise genius of a writer, and her sentences keep surprising you, but are never the point in themselves. I read with a kind of mental breathlessness. If Cooney needs someone to convince her to write a sequel, I volunteer.” —Gail Godwin, author of Evensong and Publishing
“A moving and joyous romp . . . All the dogs are wonderfully, fully drawn characters . . . A brilliantly crafted, uplifting book.” —The Bark
Review
"Those who ate up Marley and Me will want to check out Wilson's novel, which follows a disgraced millionaire who finds a friend in a scruffy pit bull."--EntertainmentWeekly.com
“…a love story between man and dog…youll cry at the end.”—USA Today
“One Good Dog belongs on the top of everyones reading list.”—Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA)
"Nowhere can we see the potential for our own redemption more clearly than in the eyes of our dog. Susan Wilson illustrates this truth poignantly and beautifully in this story of second chances."—Tami Hoag, New York Times #1 bestselling author of Secrets to the Grave
"Fans of Marley and Me will find a new dog to cheer for in Wilson's (Beauty ) insightful heart-tugger...Chance tells his story in his own words, which makes his mistreatment and return to the fighting pit powerfully disturbing. Combined with Wilson's unflinching portrayal of Adam's struggle to overcome his past, Old Yeller 's got nothing on this very good man and his dog story."--Publishers Weekly
"[One Good Dog] is a finely wrought story of second chances and also of the power of the human/canine bond, the amazing and myriad ways in which dogs can touch and make better peoples lives. As Chance himself so aptly puts it, 'What else could I have done? Im only canine, I had to help'.”--Bark Magazine
"[One Good Dog] evokes both laughter and tears, but the ending assures you that humans and dogs are capable of redemption."--Library Journal
“Susan Wilson's evocative and deeply moving novel reminds us that even the most unlikely human can also find redemption, sometimes, with a little help from a canine friend." -- Melissa Jo Peltier, New York Times bestselling co-author of Cesars Way
“One Good Dog equals one great book!”---Rita Mae Brown, New York Times bestselling author of The Purrfect Murder
“One Good Dog will make you cry, will make you laugh, will make you feel things more than you thought possible---and it will make you believe in second chances.”--Augusten Burroughs, New York Times bestselling author of Running with Scissors and A Wolf at the Table
“One Good Dog is a wonderful novel of healing and redemption.”--Spencer Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of Dog on It
“Anybody who has ever loved a dog---or been ‘a pack of two, as Chance so aptly puts it ---will love One Good Dog. . . . I hope Susan Wilson sits and stays---forever.”--Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of SAVE ME
“One Good Dog is a terrific book that held me from beginning to end!”--Iris Johansen, New York Times #1 bestselling author of EVE
“I was so moved by Susan Wilsons writing: her understanding of the lost, in the language of the wild.”--Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep Blue Sea For Beginners
Review
“Must-read . . . A moving and joyous romp . . . All the dogs are wonderfully, fully drawn characters . . . A brilliantly crafted, uplifting book." —
The Bark “What Ellen Cooney captures so brilliantly here is the psychological and emotional similarities between dogs and people — the way both respond to trauma and pain, and the way love and kindness can heal even the deepest wounds. The Mountaintop School for Dogs is a celebration of the bond that has brought canines and humans together for thousands of years. This book will grab your heart and not let go." — John Grogan, author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog
“The Mountaintop School for Dogs and Other Second Chances is both a joyful romp and a wise, engaging meditation on dogs, love, and recovery from pain. Come. Sit. Read!” — Lily King, author of Euphoria and Father of the Rain
“Is there such a thing as a Rescue Book? Well, there is now. This is a miracle of a book. It’s even a spiritual handbook. And it is for readers young and old and all of the in-between. Cooney is such a wise genius of a writer, and her sentences keep surprising you, but are never the point in themselves. I read with a kind of mental breathlessness. If Cooney needs someone to convince her to write a sequel, I volunteer." — Gail Godwin, author of Evensong, Unfinished Desires, and many others
“Dogs were bred by us to serve us in practical ways, but then dogs took it on themselves to serve us most profoundly by healing our broken hearts. Ellen Cooney understands this, and is the kind of keenly observational writer who can detail the path to healing only dogs can provide. A delightful read for all of us who can’t imagine life without dogs.” —W. Bruce Cameron, New York Times best-selling author of A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey
“The real genius of this story is in all the things it doesn’t tell you, all the things it assumes you already know — and turns out, you do! — which leaves much more space to be taken up by what really matters: the marvelous canines. Any dog lover — any person lover — will be moved (nearly to the point of slobbering) by this warm, funny, heart-expanding book.” — Pam Houston, author of Sight Hound and Contents May Have Shifted
“A young woman who knows she’s lost and an older woman who doesn’t think she is meet a slew of cast-away dogs at a snowy, mountaintop sanctuary, and discover what they didn’t even know they were looking for. A charming novel about overcoming the past and finding meaning and purpose in the present.” — Susan Richards, author of Chosen by a Horse
“This is a jubilant, wise celebration of love, reciprocal between human and canine, in ways profound, moving, and soul saving. Readers will long remember the central humans in this tale — Evie, Mrs. Auberchon, and Giant George — along with the exquisitely drawn cast of rescued dogs who, in their own delightful, mysterious, and silent ways, heal their rescuers’ wounds. Ellen Cooney has written a funny, joyous, and heartrending book that insists intelligence and kindness must win out over ignorance and cruelty. Exploring the human and canine hearts with equal doses of wisdom and wit, it is surely a book to be read and reread preferably with your dog nestled by your side.” — Connie May Fowler, author of Before Women Had Wings and When Katie Wakes
“Dog by dog by dog by Evie, the star-crossed protagonist, practically a stray herself, we come to understand that we’re all a little bit unadoptable, a little bit misused, and ready for sure for some loving kindness, the kind that surpasseth understanding, and that only a dog can give. Ellen Cooney has written a timeless primer to healing, surviving, transcending, and to a rarified communication that runs both ways and back again. I read this book with a cup of tea in my hand and my dog at my side (Baila, a golden). She wagged when I laughed, growled when I gasped, licked my face when I cried, damn it, woof. These animals know a good book when they sniff one.” — Bill Roorbach, author of Life Among Giants and Writing Life Stories
“Cooney’s latest novel is both a joyful romp and a thoughtful meditation. The author’s delicate touch with the pain and trauma endured by abused animals and her sensitive portrayal of dedicated rescuers send a powerful message. Love is a great teacher and we are all a little unadoptable. Readers of Garth Stein and Carolyn Parkhurst will adore this title." —Library Journal
“Cooney’s good-natured narrative teaches readers about many different aspects of dog behavior and training alongside Evie, making the book ideal for animal aficionados . . . Dog lovers rejoice! Cooney has crafted an uncomplicated, feel-good, canine-filled tale of cross-generational friendship, healing, and solidarity.” — Publishers Weekly
“As knowledgeable as she is about the world of dog rescue and rehabilitation, Cooney is equally empathic in her treatment of a scarred and scared young woman.” — Booklist
Synopsis
Acclaimed author Susan Wilson brings us a touching yet unblinkingly authentic tale of loss and rediscovery, of true friendship and learning whats truly important in life.
One note. Three words. And Adam Marchs well-ordered life and well-laid plans are shattered.
The very definition of a hard-nosed businessman, Adam March has no room in his life for anything but the cold drive to succeed. Not for his social-climbing wife or for his rebellious teenage daughter. Then, in an instant, he loses everything. Due to an untimely collision of arrogance, stress, circumstance, and a momentary loss of self-control, Adam finds himself alone, unemployed, and reduced to bussing tables in a homeless shelter, serving men hed always gone out of his way to avoid.
One instant of opportunity. Enough for one dog to find his freedom.
Chance was born in an inner-city cellar, a mix of pit bull and God-knows-what. Bred to fight, and damn good at it, he lived in a dank, dark, and vicious world. Not that he wished for something better; that world was all he knew. But when the moment presented itself, Chance made the most of it in a new life on the street, for a little while.
Two lives. Two second chances.
Thrown together, Adam and Chance fill the holes in each others lives. Adam gives Chance his first real home, a haven he never could have imagined, while Chance gives Adam a new start. And a new heart.
Thats One Good Dog.
Synopsis
A novel of a young woman who, despite knowing nothing about animals, signs herself up for dog training school at The Sanctuary, where she discovers that rescue can find even the most hopeless among us and that friends come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds
Synopsis
“This book will grab your heart and not let go.” — John Grogan, author of Marley & Me “A joyful romp and a wise, engaging meditation on dogs, love, and recovery from pain.” — Lily King, author of Euphoria
“Must-read . . . A brilliantly crafted, uplifting book.” — The Bark
The Sanctuary. High up on the mountain, the Sanctuary is a home for strays and rescued dogs. Once the indomitable Mrs. Auberchon lets her pass, Evie joins a training program there — never mind that she doesn’t know a thing about animals. But when she’s finally on the mountain with staffers, volunteers, and the dogs, Evie learns quickly, finding refuge in the Sanctuary as the dogs do. For, like the racing greyhound who won’t move, the golden retriever who returns every time he’s adopted, and the Rottweiler failing at search-and-rescue, Evie has a troubled past. A worthy shelf-mate to books by Garth Stein and Carolyn Parkhurst, this is a heartfelt novel about finding in your fellow animals a deeper sense of home, healing, and hope for a fresh future.
About the Author
ELLEN COONEY is the author of A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies and other novels. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker and many literary journals. She has taught writing at MIT, Harvard, and Boston College, and now lives in Maine with her dogs Andy, Skip, and Maxine—who are each, in their own way, rescues.