One Good Dog

By: Susan Wilson

Narrated by: Fred Berman, Rick Adamson

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Adam March is a self-made “Master of the Universe”. He has it all: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends. But there is a price to be paid for all these trappings, and the pressure is mounting—until the day Adam makes a fatal mistake. His assistant leaves him a message with three words: your sister called. What no one knows is that Adam’s sister has been missing for decades...that she represents the excruciatingly painful past he has left behind...and that her absence has secretly tormented him all these years. When his assistant brushes off his request for an explanation in favor of her more pressing personal call, Adam loses it. And all hell breaks loose.

Adam is escorted from the building. He loses his job. He loses his wife. He loses the life he’s worked so hard to achieve. He doesn’t believe it is possible to sink any lower when he is assigned to work in a soup kitchen as a form of community service.

But unbeknownst to Adam, this is where his life will intersect with Chance. Chance is a mixed breed Pit Bull. He’s been born and raised to fight and seldom leaves the dirty basement where he is kept between fights. But Chance is not a victim or a monster. It is Chance’s unique spirit that helps him escape and puts him in the path of Adam. What transpires is the story of one man, one dog, and how they save each other—in ways they never could have expected.

©2010 Susan Wilson (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Chance tells his story in his own words, which makes his mistreatment and return to the fighting pit powerfully disturbing. Combined with Wilson's unflinching portrayal of Adam's struggle to overcome his past, Old Yeller's got nothing on this very good man and his dog story." ( Publishers Weekly)

Fun listen; emotionally rewarding

Two great readers, one for the protagonist and one for the ‘ugly cur.’ Obviously, both are destined to meet and help each other, but the author does a wonderful job keeping it from being too maudlin. Emotionally rewarding.

One Good Story

Where does One Good Dog rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I am an animal lover so this ranks high on my list.

What did you like best about this story?

It's a perfect example of "who rescued who"...

Which character – as performed by Fred Berman and Rick Adamson – was your favorite?

Loved Chance!

Any additional comments?

The first few chapters were a little slow for me but once Chance became part of the picture I was excited to hear the next chapter...and immediately signed up for the 2nd book to be released.

A wonderful book

There are only a handful of books I've ever read that made me wish I'd never come to the end. This book is one of them. I will admit I'm a dog lover and every dog I've ever had was either a shelter dog or a dog that would otherwise have ended up in a shelter, so maybe I was primed for this tale. A few parts are very difficult to listen too--they describe pretty horrible acts by dogs instigated by horrible humans--but the book is truly a story of redemption--of dog and of human. I felt many different emotions as I listened to this book--and wanted more when I got to the end. I couldn't ask for more.

Great Book

I've read or listened to several books written from the dog's perspective. I tend to love them all, but I especially loved this book. It is told from two perspectives; the dog (Chance) and the man (Adam) in third person. The narration is perfect. Two different narrators are used; one for Chance and the other for the third person narration of Adam.
As the story begins, Adam is a man not many would empathize with or relate to (although there are probably bits of him in all of us if we look at ourselves closely and honestly). Through a turn of events and by his own hand, Adam's life of prominence is completely devestated and turned upside down. Everything is pretty much ripped from him; his financial independence, his family, his social standing, his reputation, and he is forced into humility. Forced at first, but the reader witnesses his growth as the story progresses.
As the story of Chance begins, he is a nameless dog used for fighting. He is a pitbull/rottweiler (or some other big dog) used soley for one purpose. Eventually Adam and Chance cross paths and become a part of one another's life.
I won't spoil this story for you because I believe it is one truly worth reading or listening to. It's not a touchy feely, or tongue in cheek dog's-perspective story. It is very realistic and brutal in places. It brought tears to my eyes and upon finishing this book, I needed a day or two to absorb it and recover from it. It's one of those books that will stick with you long after you put it down. Definitely going on my "favorites" list.

the story teller is great at using different voices for different characters.

What makes a great story is the ability to create pictures of people and places in my mind. This book did just that and more.

Finishes Strong

This book began so slowly I came close to giving up on it. Adam Marsh's meltdown; the act that sets this whole story in motion was done in slow motion and with more detail than is imparted in The Odyssey. The characters aren't particularly well balanced for the most part; particularly for the first three quarters of the book. What saves this book is Adam's growth of character and the relationship between him and Chance the rescue dog. Well, that and the improvement in the relationship between Adam and his daughter Ariel; both of them growing as people as well as father and daughter. If you're able to get through the first couple of chapters it's a good listen.

BRAVO

This book was wonderful! What an emotional rags to riches story, for both man and dog. It was good from the first words. The dual precpective really worked and I'm guessing Ms. Wilson is a dog lover as she wrote this just as the loving relationship between man/dog exists, at least in my mind! Thanks for this great story!

Great read

This book should appeal to all, even if not dog ppl... It's humorous, heartwarming, and thoughtful in both delivery and impact... The mirroring of stories, human and dog, is deftly done... Chance is a great character, and an even better dog, and even better companion... That's his job after all;). Hankies may be needed, but things will turn out alright in the end... Worth the credit and you're welcome

Pretty good

The book was entertaining, especially the dog's side of the story. The man wasn't likable but it didn't distract from the story. Better than I thought it would be.

dog gone good

I liked how the dog had a perspective.