Description:
A beautiful and poignant true story about a golden retriever rescued from his street life in Turkey that explores the concepts of love, loyalty, compassion, happiness, freedom and redemption.
Brief description: A native of Michigan, M. Jeanne Willoughby is the sponsor sister of Armando, when he was welcomed into their Big Rapids home when he first arrived in America. She earned degrees in Art and English at Michigan State University. At the Falmouth School of Art in England, her interest in animation culminated in the creation of Contretemps of the Pariah, a 16-mm color animated film. After moving to San Diego, California, Ms. Willoughby earned her master's in Educational Technology and worked for over three decades as an instructional designer. In 1985, she illustrated Everything is Okay by Steve Kowit, then collaborated with author C. J. Minster to illustrate two educational children's books, We're All Peas in a Pod and Do You Know Me?, as well as the cover design for The American Religion in General by R. E. Willoughby. Having retired in 2017, Jeanne continues to work on a variety of creative projects and lives happily with her spouse and two standard poodles.
Review Quotes:
"As a veterinarian, I have always speculated as to the life experience that many of our rescued companions endure before finding their forever homes. This is a poignant story told from a dog's perspective, highlighting the human-animal bond and unconditional love of dogs. Chance's amazing journey across continents, to find his permanent home, is just one example of what rescue animals go through, and the mutual benefits received by owners and companions alike." -Dr. Ryan Warnemuende, Jensen's Animal Hospital
"American writer Edward Hoagland once said that "in order to enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly dog." And in essence, in the style of Platero and I, Armando González-
Pérez takes us to that doggy world, to a place where the canine mixes with the human to such a degree that the reader does not know if Chance´s political ideas are his or if the writer has transported us to another dimension. It is a book that can be read with authentic childish interest or with a critical adult eye, as the book makes us see human anti-values such as the greed of a dog salesman or the human hypocrisy embodied in Mustafa and how fate gave Chance another opportunity in life, another chance." -Nelson López Rojas, author of Downpour
"Armando González-Pérez´s story is one that narrates the trial and tribulations told through the eyes of its protagonist Chance, the wandering golden retriever. This is a charming and heartwarming tale that will be enjoyed by children as well as adults. It tells about a puppy born somewhere in Turkey and ends up as a beloved pet in Michigan. It brings to the forefront the mysterious but real connection
between humans and dogs, from the canine perspective. Although lost in time, this association with our four-legged friends seems not to have brought us human beings much closer to understanding their sentient capacity, or that of any other creatures with whom we share the planet. This is a story of love, loss, cruelty, abandonment, and displacement that is also one of redemption, that reaffirms the happiness that love and fidelity our marvelous, shared companionship brings." -Diana Álvarez-Amell, author of Three Novels by Cirilo Villaverde