No one brings to life the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs like New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz. He has warmed our spirits with enchanting tales and keen observations of his animal menagerie-the dogs, sheep, chickens, and other residents of Bedlam Farm. Now, Katz is back with what he does best in his first collection of short stories, Dancing Dogs. With his signature insight and gift for storytelling, Katz shares sixteen stories about one of life's most unique relationships: In the title story, a housekeeper loses her job, but discovers her four-legged "children" have some toe-tapping talents that just may get the whole family back on its feet. In "Puppy Commando," a shy grade-school outcast forges an instant connection with a beagle puppy she meets at a shelter-and risks everything to keep him. "Gracie's Last Walk" features a woman who must find a way to say goodbye to her beloved golden retriever-but ends up saying hello to someone unexpected. "The Dog Who Kept Men Away" shows that not all humans pass the "sniff" test when it comes to canines, who possess an excellent judge of character. And in "Guardian Angel," a widower going through a painful transition finds the greatest comfort in the unlikeliest of sources-a funny-looking pug named Gus. Whether sitting, staying, and rolling over, in the barnyard, shelters, or home, sweet, home, the creatures in Dancing Dogs are genuinely inspiring and utterly memorable.
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"I am a big fan of Jon Katz' dog memoirs, and I was curious whether his short stories would read as well. They do; actually in some ways I think that these stories allow Katz to show off his talents as a writer in a way not possible with non-fiction. Here, the narrator is not restricted to Katz himself - in one story the narrator is an old farmer, in another a middle aged woman clerking in a big box store, and in another a dog, home alone and far from bored. The characters in Katz' stories are not only individualized in terms of gender, age, and even species, they are also believable. Katz loves dogs, his characters love dogs, his dogs sometimes loves cats, and his cats even befriend roosters. In Katz' stories, across all variation, a deep love for the animals who share our lives is manifest. And his sympathy for humans, despite many of our obvious limitations, is apparent throughout as well."
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Helen (5 out of 5 stars)