Review: Wonderful Story about Two Former Soldiers Trying to Heal - One Just Happens to be a Bomb-Dog!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 11, 2013
This is a wonderful story by J. Gunnar Grey and I didn't want it to end. The characters are compelling and very real in the way they are portrayed and the story is fascinating. While I was drawn into the main character's life quickly by the natural and subtle prose, the bomb-detection dog that the protagonist - Captain Kelly Bonham - "Bonnie" - adopts is equally a star.When I was just out of high-school I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and while at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, I would march or walk by the "military working dog" facility daily. Often I would see these sleek dogs going through training with their handlers - most were German Shepherds like Pojo, the dog in this story. Later in my life I worked with the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Teams and their drug-detection and explosive-detection dogs during ship boarding and searches. I was always impressed by the skill and professionalism of the dog handlers and of the military working dogs.In this story, J. Gunnar Grey is able to show how a military working dog can be just as affected by the trauma of war as a man or woman, and how another former soldier can reach out and begin a healing process. In the end, both Pojo and Bonnie are changed by their coming together in a way that gives me hope for both of them. Besides the action and dialogue feeling natural and unforced, the description of the setting was excellent and made me feel as if I was actually in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.The writing skill that J. Gunnar Grey displayed in this story left me wanting to read more of her work. I recommend this story to anyone who likes a good story and descriptive, character driven writing. I'm looking forward to reading more of the authors work!