Weekends with Daisy

By: Sharron Kahn Luttrell

Narrated by: Jane Jacobs

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

Sharron Kahn Luttrell was still mourning the death of her beloved German shepherd when she decided to volunteer as a weekend puppy raiser. With her kids growing more independent, what better way to fill her time than by helping others...especially if it means getting an adorable pup every weekend?

But Daisy, an adorable bundle of fur the color of buttered toast, captures Sharron's heart the moment she's handed the leash. And while Keith, the convict who cares for and trains Daisy during the week, seems intimidating at first, he is soft-spoken and polite. What's more, Daisy's appearance on Fridays, freshly scrubbed and sweet smelling, seems further evidence of his gentle nature. Each new command Daisy masters and task she learns suggests a man who is patient, persistent, and committed to his work. The weekly "hand-offs" soon fall into an easy rhythm as Sharron and Keith bond over their mutual love for Daisy.

Then Sharron discovers the horrifying crime that led to Keith's incarceration and her trust in him is shattered. Ultimately, it is Daisy and her unwavering trust in Keith that helps Sharron come to terms with Keith's past, and to recognize his struggle for redemption.

In an emotional and uplifting memoir, journalist Sharron Luttrell describes an unforgettable year. Sharron and Keith start their journey believing that they are training Daisy, but in truth she is the one showing them the way: gently pushing them to fulfill their own destinies, to grow up, let go, and experience what it really means to sit, to stay, and to love.

©2013 Sharron Kahn Luttrell (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Daisy's Smile on the Cover is a Perfect Indicator

Redemption. Dog-love. Compassion. Frustration. Life.

Woven into this heart-warming story are all these components. As fascinating as the relationship between Daisy and the week-end puppy raiser (the author) is the relationship between the inmate-trainer and the author. How does a middle-class, law-abiding citizen relate to an inmate serving a long sentence for who-knows-what? Once the nature of the offense is discovered, how is the relationship changed? How does this happy and devoted puppy redeem them both? It would be hard to dislike this book.

Worthwhile read!

Couldn't wait for it to be over

Jane Jacob's narration drove me nuts. I felt like I was listening to a news report. I purchased this book because I used to have a yellow lab and many of Daisy's antics reminded me of my beloved Lani. I found Sharron rather shallow and a bit to quick to categorize individual's personalities and lifestyles in a rather canned personality/intelligence grouping just because they found themselves in a particular situation - (in jail for instance). Having to listen to her rant and rave about Keith's crime for what seemed like eternity was enough to make me want to put this book down except I was already half way through the book and just wanted to finish the story to see if Daisy graduated to become a service dog. This story was a time line of how Daisy progressed over her training period and how she affected the people around her. When I read a story, I want to "see" the story unfold. This was a timeline in every sense and lacked in any real visuals. I would suggest saving your credit for another book about dogs.

Lots of self-analyzing

The basic story is good - how raising a puppy to be a service dog affects the handler. However, The story bogs down with the author's introspection. She also analyzes almost every interaction. It was too much for me and I would skip over those parts.

Distracting Narration

Where does Weekends with Daisy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

average or slightly below

What other book might you compare Weekends with Daisy to and why?

None

What three words best describe Jane Jacobs’s voice?

extreme, distracting, inappropriate
Ms. Jacobs' enunciation is so very precise that it had no "everyday" quality for this tale of a family's relationship with training dogs. She is an expressive storyteller, but her diction was like an opera singer crooning "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." I laughed right out loud when she read the few instances of cursing: "Oh shit!" "He was pissed off!" Those words would never have come from the mouth (or the pen) of the person this narrator suggests. Distracting!!!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Really Boring

Was there a plot to this book? I must have missed it. Felt like I was reading a training manual. Just dreadful.

Dogs! Love em!

Where does Weekends with Daisy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This rates about an 8. I love a good dog read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrating character and of course daisy! she was interesting and not too predictable.

Have you listened to any of Jane Jacobs’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I usually listen to books in one sitting but like the story to last as long as possible, so this one was O.K. That way. It was satisfying.

Any additional comments?

I liked the view point of this story. The secondary plot was informational and sensitive . It was a little hysterical about the inmates issues though.. I would be curious too but didn't really see why she felt so threatened. The relationship with Daisy was fun and a good ride In the positive aspects of helping others and the blessings that so many people can receive just incidentally .It was encouraging and I did look into local volunteering as a trainer in my locality.

Training a service dog

What made the experience of listening to Weekends with Daisy the most enjoyable?

I liked the story. The ups and downs of training a service dog was fascinating.

What other book might you compare Weekends with Daisy to and why?

A dog named Boo--both books were about overcoming obstacles that are associated with disabilities. But Daisy was a little more of a feel good book about all kinds of people than the Boo book was.

Which character – as performed by Jane Jacobs – was your favorite?

Sharon

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

n/a

Any additional comments?

n/a

Love a heartwarming pup story

Any additional comments?

I appreciated the intelligent narration. I always love when people can find their way through a hard time by simply learning how to relate to a pet.

Really beautiful

I loved everything about this! From the sensitive pitch perfect and very intelligent and caring narrator Jane Jacobs to the intelligent, thoughtful very uplifting story, this is a lovely listen.