Book Review: Comet's Tale (dog)

Comet’s Tale: How the Dog I Rescued Saved My Life, by Steven Wolf with Lynette Padwa (Algonquin, 2012, 257 pages, $23.95) 

Far From Ordinary

Comet the dog is far from ordinary. Comet’s Tale the book is far from ordinary.

If I were in the habit of reading book reviews instead of just writing them, I would have read this book last year. As it turned out, I did buy it last year, but I let life interfere and just now got around to reading it. (Actually I just now found it.)

Comet’s Tale was another 24-hour book – a most excellent story – very definitely an A-list book.  The two times I had to put it down, I couldn’t wait to get back to it.

That happens when you are inside the story and the book seems to be happening around you, about you, as you play the different characters. You genuinely like one or more characters.

A dog book should have much of the story about the dog. Comet’s Tale starts and ends with Comet, a rescued racing Greyhound, and has Comet in between - a lot.

A Rescued Racing Greyhound

We learn, naturally but surreptitiously, about the history of the breed and its characteristics – what makes the Grey a good couch potato dog; why there are so many young Greys up for adoption; why they seem so glamorous, so loyal, so regal, so calm, so accepting of other dogs and a few people; why they sleep taking up so little room; why they are so easily housetrained.

Doe Eyes and Velvety Fur

Comet’s Tale is so excellent that I will be looking for Greyhounds in the neighborhood and just may visit a Greyhound rescue website* to see when their next adoption day will take place in my town. Just to visit with the dogs, of course. For some reason, I am suddenly doubting that I am a Golden Retriever or Lab person after all – my personality and temperament seem to fit a Greyhound’s so perfectly.

What’s it All About?

Comet’s Tale - a blended family split by geography and health issues, a type A lawyer, degenerative disease, training one’s own service dog (who just happens to be ‘scary smart,’ sensitive and naturally protective), Nebraska and Arizona, being macho, divorces, a separation, grandchildren, becoming mature finally as one also becomes older (not necessarily the same thing). And a very special dog.

You might agree that the description of a rescue dog rescuing the man who rescued him is a bit lame (I still do), but it does fit the story like a wet T-shirt on a teen-age girl!

Need I say again that this was a 24-hour book? It was that good!

*www.greytexpectations.org and www.gpa-md.com

(This review was written in 2013 and the book was purchased for review.)