Four-Legged Miracles

October 29, 2012
Funny, heartbreaking, and nearly unbelievable, the tales in the Steigers’ (Dog Miracles) new book all live up to one promise: a happy ending. The collection tells of dozens of tenacious dogs who found their owners after overcoming myriad obstacles, including going missing for years or traveling thousands of miles. For example, Prince found his owner in the trenches of WWI, and Sadie, a four-pound Yorkie, was carried two miles by a tornado. Evidenced by owner reports and local news coverage, the authors acknowledge many of these heroic homecomings to be “stranger than... fiction.” The book also explores the canine mind and the dog-human bond, and provides helpful advice about how to avoid losing your dog and what to do if it happens. Especially compelling is the section “Can Dogs Read Our Minds?” in which the authors discuss research about dogs’ ability to decipher human mental states, a captivating concept for anyone who’s experienced a close bond with their furry companion. Some readers may find the book-in-stories structure tedious; many accounts follow similar trajectories and a few lack the details necessary to engage the reader. Still, this hopeful book will make dog lovers of all ages smile in amazement at the devotion of our beloved buddies. Agent: Agnes Birnbaum, Bleecker Street Associates.