BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: THUNDER DOG

“Thunder Dog” written by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory

Description
A blind man and his guide dog show the power of trust and courage in the midst of devastating terror.

It was 12:30 a.m. on 9/11 and Roselle whimpered at Michael’s bedside. A thunderstorm was headed east, and she could sense the distant rumbles while her owners slept. As a trained guide dog, when she was “on the clock” nothing could faze her. But that morning, without her harness, she was free to be scared, and she nudged Michael’s hand with her wet nose as it draped over the bedside toward the floor. She needed him to wake up.

With a busy day of meetings and an important presentation ahead, Michael slumped out of bed, headed to his home office, and started chipping away at his daunting workload. Roselle, shivering, took her normal spot at his feet and rode out the storm while he typed. By all indications it was going to be a normal day. A busy day, but normal nonetheless. Until they went into the office.

In Thunder Dog, follow Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, as their lives are changed forever by two explosions and 1,463 stairs. When the first plane struck Tower One, an enormous boom, frightening sounds, and muffled voices swept through Michael’s office while shards of glass and burning scraps of paper fell outside the windows.

But in this harrowing story of trust and courage, discover how blindness and a bond between dog and man saved lives and brought hope during one of America’s darkest days.

About the Authors
Michael Hingson, national ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign, is a miraculous survivor of 9/11. He now owns The Michael Hingson Group, Inc., a consulting firm concerning inclusiveness and diversity and a platform for engaging speaking opportunities. A graduate of the University of California (Irvine) and a cum laude graduate with a master’s degree in physics, Hingson has never let blindness stop him from achieving his goals. His life is a testimony to the power of trust, perseverance, and the amazing bond between humans and animals. Michael and his wife, Karen, live in the San Francisco Bay Area with three yellow lab guide dogs, Roselle (ret.), Africa, and Fantasia, and one cat, Sherlock.

My Thoughts
It’s hard to believe that 10 years has passed since the horrible events occured on September 11, 2011. I know that I will never forget where I was when it happened, nor will anyone else on that day that the “world stopped turning”.

I cannot even begin to imagine what it would have been like to actually be there when it happened. For Michael Hingson, the experience he had came first hand; as he worked in the World Trade Center (in tower one). And to make the story even more compelling, is the fact that Michael, is blind, has a guide dog Roselle and has to descend 78 stories on foot to get to safety. This gripping survival story is one that I will never forget. 

The story is well told, with a moment by moment account of Michael and Roselle’s escape, along with colleague David Frank from their office located on the 78th floor in Tower I of the World Trade Center. Interspersed with the details of that fateful day are stories of Michael’s life.

This book holds not only the story of one man and his dog on one day; it is the story of a blind community, the story of Guide Dogs for the Blind, a story of technology and a story of friendships and love. In these stories we learn of courage, teamwork, patience and faith.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, ages young adult and up. It was a suspenseful, interesting and a unique story of survival by Michael Hingson and his guide dog Roselle. “Thunder Dog” is a touching and memorable book.

To learn more about this book, you can visit the publisher’s website, or purchase it for yourself on Amazon.

Thank You so much Booksneeze & Thomas Nelson for letting me review this book! I absolutely love being apart of your bloggers reading program 🙂 Take care and I look forward to reading more books from you in the future!