The Dog Who Healed a Family

August 2, 2010
Coudert (Seven Cats and the Art of Living) offers an uplifting collection of true animal tales featuring ducks, geese, deer, and dogs who bring healing and joy to those around them. She introduces us to Snoopy, a 17-year-old dachshund/beagle mix whose family can’t afford to transport her from Wyoming to their new home in Indiana. Through the efforts of several animal lovers, Snoopy rides the “puppy express” and is happily returned to her family. The title story describes a generous family who adopts three siblings haunted by their troubled history and incapable of connecting emotionally with their new parents. Enter Shaneen, a puppy with a preternatural ability to sense what the children need and how to reach them. We also meet Lord Bacon, a remarkable miniature pig, who helps his owner overcome agoraphobia, as well as Dirty Annie and Philip, wild ducks who invade a yard to snack on raspberries and end up charming the yard owner. These touching and engaging vignettes will make animal lovers out of us all.