Pax, an Amazing Dog, and the People Who Need Him

An abandoned puppy, Pax finds a home with Rick, an aspiring big league pitcher. Their bond is strong and instantaneous. Then comes Francesca. Rick sees her at the ball game, asks her out, and after they've known each other for a week, asks her to marry him. Pax approves, and the threesome seem on the verge of realizing their hearts desires. Rick will be in the Braves starting line-up. They're trying for a baby, and Pax had a family to take care of.

WWII intervenes. Rick is called up. Francesca takes a wartime job in a wire-making plant, but are they doing enough? Francesca sees an ad for the K-9 corps that trains dogs for the military. After much soul searching, they enlist Pax.

He is an unwilling recruit until Keller Nicholson, an abused boy, bonds with him. They become an unbeatable team and go to Europe: Pax as a scout: Keller as his handler. With the war over, things are different. Rick is badly wounded. His dream of being a major league pitcher and Francesca's of having a child are dead. Keller retrains Pax to be a family pet, but doesn't want to give him up, neither do Rick and Francesca. So starts the heart-warming --

heart-breaking story of three people adjusting to their new life and the end of their dreams.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. Pax, the wonder dog, is almost too good to be true, but having had dogs, I know it's possible. The adjustments the other three make, and have to make, keep you routing for them and can leave you in tears.

If you love dog stories, or about people finding their way out of tragedy, you'll love this book.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.