Now regarded as a classic in dog literature, Ken Foster's memoir chronicles his journey from first-time dog owner to rescuer--and all the lessons and mistakes he made along the way. Â Bookended by the tragedies of 9/11 and Katrina, Foster finds that dogs open his eyes to the benefits of compassion, selflessness and the chaotic beauty of living each day in the moment. Â
But more than Foster's own story, readers remember the dogs. among them: Duque, a Costa Rican stray; Brando, Foster's first adopted dog, a supposed pit bull mix who outgrew his Manhattan studio apartment; Rocco, a clownish red pit bull whose owner mistakenly gives him away to the wrong person; Zephyr, a cheerful Rottweiler mix who awakens him by sitting on his chest when his heart stops working; and Sula, the tiny lost pit bull who showed up at his door one day and stayed. Â
Whether bearing witness to national tragedy, grieving the death of a friend, or dealing with his own mortality, Foster finds strength in his dogs, and in the reciprocal nature of rescue. Â
