I love dogs. I love working dogs. I've been waiting to read this book for a long time, and was excited to get into it.
Lucca is a hero. There's just really no other way to put it. She was deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan searching for weapons and IEDs. The beginning of this book was brutal. You're hooked immediately and have to keep going to find out what happened. I laughed, and I cried. I read it in four days, which is pretty good for me these days.
Major respect to Chris Willingham and Juan "Rod" Rodriguez. These two men were willing to tell their stories (which can be emotional at times). I loved how Chris was aware and sensitive to the needs of the people and animals around him. He learned the wrong way to deal with grief and passed that on to others later on. While Chris is the main handler for Lucca, Rod also was very important to the story. Very important.
I want to acknowledge the research of the author. As I was reading this, I was wondering how she knew so much. I didn't see anything at the beginning, but it was at the end. She did numerous interviews between August 2013 and April 2014 and even stayed with the Willinghams for a bit. She got to know the family, and most importantly, Lucca herself. She also interviewed so many people, even very "minor" characters were consulted.
The pictures are at the very end - after the sources. I could've probably looked at a hundred more pictures and not complained a bit. But I think the author chose a good smattering of pictures to cover Lucca's life and the friends she made along the way. Another great choice. The writing is engaging, and I really enjoyed learning about this hero. Great Book!
I'm going to add some spoilers down below the picture. I don't want to give away what happens in the book, but I really want to acknowledge the other heroes. I realize that probably all the dogs mentioned are gone by now, and they all deserve a lot more recognition than they get, but I am just going to do it this way. Forgive me for any mistakes and know that I appreciate every person and dog mentioned. And also, I have great respect for those who serve - past and present.
RIP to the fallen heroes:
Kory Wiens and Cooper
Max Donahue
Grief
Posha
Bram
Special mention to those who came back with visible and invisible scars:
Alfred Brenner
Fenji
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