Notes from August 2017 group

One Good Dog by Susan Wilson – Discussed on Wed Aug 2, 2017 at Geneseo Public Library

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 he'd 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 other's 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.

Our book group really liked this book.  It was an easy read.  We loved that there were chapters written from the main character Adam’s perspective and then next chapter was written from the dog’s viewpoint.  This story challenges the popular myth of all pitbulls being natural killers: they are taught to be killers. It was interesting how Adam’s personality changed from beginning to end of the story.  There were lots of good topics for discussion in this book.