Until Tuesday

June 13, 2011
Man's best friend stars in this memoir by an Iraq vet who returns to New York and enlists the help of a golden retriever named Tuesday to help him re-acclimate in a new world marked by a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Montalván, a former captain of the US Army, is most compelling when zoning in on specifics, especially related to his psychological disorder: "The subway was a horror for my PTSD-addled brain, a nail-gripping, muscle-tensing ride in a claustrophobic tube full of faces my mind compulsively studied for signs of malicious intent." Although provided the assistance of a doctor and therapist, the commute to and from these sessions caused Montalván immense anxiety filled with hypothetical dangers. Public-speaking engagements similarly were racked with anxiety, and described vividly. Tuesday, a gentle golden retriever, became the perfect remedy for the veteran's neurosis. Though canine assistance and the Iraq war are both major characters, this is a valuable first-person glimpse into how someone with PTSD thinks.

May 15, 2011
As troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan with an increasing number of PTSD symptoms, books such as this provide solace and hope. In graphic and wrenching detail, Montalvan describes his devastating combat injuries in Iraq and deep disappointment over how the war was prosecuted. He also shares the parallel story of his service dog, Tuesday. Stories of dogs assisting people are not unusual, but Montalvans willingness to share his personal struggle makes for a gripping, timely, and poignant tale. He does not mince words as he chronicles the resistance of those who didnt think he was injured enough for an assistance dog and how those incorrect assumptions brought undue harm to him and others like him. A clarion call to all who profess to care about our veterans and an intense reminder of just how high a price they have already paid, Montalvans mixture of memoir, military history, and pet story results in an urgently important tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)