Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained dogs. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar’s paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles’ once peaceful home. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three dogs who follow him.
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul, he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to his master, Denny Swift, a race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn’t simply about going fast. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.
Off the Leash is a group portrait of dog people, specifically the strange, wonderful, neurotic, and eccentric dog people who gather at Amory Park, overlooking Boston near Fenway Park. And it’s about author Matthew Gilbert’s transformation, after much fear and loathing of dogs and social groups, into one of those dog people with fur on their jackets, squeaky toys in their hands, and biscuits in their pockets.
In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen ran up to them. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. The Levins were unable to resist Oogy’s charms, and decided to take him home.
Ted Kerasote met and adopted Merle, a Laborador mix, while he was on a camping trip. Merle had been living in the wild, and after taking the dog home with him, Kerasote soon realized that Merle could not adjust to inhabiting in the human world. So he put a door in his house to let Merle live both outside and in. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live were they free; Kerasote suggests how they should be allowed to live, and the doors that should always remain open to them.
From a top secret government laboratory come two genetically altered life forms. One is a magnificent dog of astonishing intelligence. The other, a hybrid monster of a brutally violent nature. And both are on the loose. Bestselling author Dean Koontz presents his most terrifying, dramatic and moving novel: The explosive story of a man and a woman, caught in a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation.
My name’s Griz. My childhood wasn’t like yours. I’ve never had friends, and in my whole life I’ve not met enough people to play a game of football. My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs. Then the thief came. There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.
Adam March has it all: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends, until one day when it all comes crashing down. He loses his job. He loses his wife. He loses the life he’s worked so hard to achieve. Adam thinks he’s lost it all, but this is when he meets Chance, a mixed breed Pit Bull. What transpires is the story of one man, one dog, and how they save each other—in ways they never could have expected.
Leigh Brill finally decided to stop pretending she was just fine when she admitted to the service dog interviewer, “I have cerebral palsy. My hands shake, too. And if I drop stuff, sometimes it’s hard to just bend down and get it.” So began her journey toward independence and confidence, all thanks to a trained companion dog named Slugger. The struggling college student and the Labrador became an instant team.