<B>My Therapist’s Dog</B> <B>My Therapist’s Dog: Lessons in Unconditional Love</B> by Diana Wells is the story of how Wells, devastated by the loss of her son and sister, reluctantly reaches out to a therapist with a black Lab named Luggs. Wells has no insurance at this difficult time in her life, but the therapist accepts her as a client free of charge. To give something in return, Wells begins taking part-time care of Luggs, and gradually the dog becomes a bridge, connecting and comforting the two women as they each come up against more of life’s catastrophes. Wells is a historian, and she infuses her inspiring story with literary references and canine facts, exploring the bond that humans and dogs have shared for centuries. She quotes Emily Dickinson, for example, who wittily noted in 1862 that dogs are “better than human beings because they know, but do not tell.” Through her relationship with the therapist and her dog, Wells eventually overcomes her skepticism toward counseling and discovers the power of human (and animal) connections.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
