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Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family--and a Whole Town--About Hope and Happy Endings
 
 
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Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family--and a Whole Town--About Hope and Happy Endings [Hardcover]

Janet Elder (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)

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Book Description

September 28, 2010
Huck is a page-turning, unforgettable true story of the tenacity of one small dog, the unexpected, extraordinary kindness of strangers, and a family’s devotion to each other.
 
Michael was four when his relentless campaign for a dog began. At seven he made a PowerPoint presentation, “My Dog,” with headings like “A Childhood Without a Dog is a Sad Thing.” His parents, Janet and Rich, were steadfast; bringing a dog into their fast-paced New York City lives was utterly impractical.
 
However, on a trip to Italy, a chance happening leads Janet to reconsider, a decision then hastened by a diagnosis of breast cancer.  Janet decides the excitement of a new puppy would  be the perfect antidote to the strain on the family of months of arduous treatments for her illness. The prospect of a new puppy would be an affirmation of life, a powerful talisman for them all.
 
On Thanksgiving weekend, soon after the grueling months of treatments are over, Huck, a sweet, mischievous, red-haired, toy poodle joins the family and wins everyone’s heart.
 
A few months later the family ventures to baseball’s spring training, leaving Huck with Janet’s sister in Ramsey, New Jersey.  Barely twenty-four hours into the trip, Janet receives the dreaded phone call: Huck has slipped through the backyard fence and run away. 
 
Broken-hearted and frantic, the family catches the first plane to New Jersey to begin a search for their lost puppy. It is a race against time, for little Huck is now lost in an area entirely unfamiliar to him, facing the threat of bears and coyotes, swamps and freezing temperatures, rain and fast cars. 
 
Moved by the family’s plight, strangers – from school children to townspeople to the police lieutenant – join the search, one that proves to be an unyielding test of determination and faith.
 
Touching and warm-hearted, Huck is a spirit-lifting story about resilience, the generosity of strangers, and hope.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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Review

"There is an aura of happy innocence--a kind of euphoria-- pervading this book....Elder shows us humanity in its best light and we are uplifted."  
—The New York Times

“It’s about hope, it’s about fear, it’s about triumph … I guarantee you, you’ll feel better about everything after you read this.” David Letterman

"This story takes place in the most familiar places – a doctor’s office, a family’s kitchen, a suburban high school, and the woods out back. It’s a modern-day myth that happened to be true. It’s a story in which wonderful things occurred because people believed in themselves and in each other. It’s a story about the power of love to change our world."
—Caroline Kennedy
 
"A story of how healing the love of a pet can be and of faith that good things can still happen when people pull together – a true, feel-good read"
Patricia Cornwell, author of the Scarpetta series and dog lover
 
"Huck is the Dewey of the canine world. The dog is a delight-- even my cat Norton would have been charmed (after a hiss or two) -- and the book itself is lovely and inspiring. I rate it 5 barks."
Peter Gethers, author of The Cat Who Went to Paris and The Cat Who'll Live Forever
 
"Janet Elder's wonderful story of Huck reminds us that the best stories about dogs are really about people or, in this case, community. Few things in America these days can bring people together more than a shared love of dogs. Dogs enter our lives for all kinds of reasons, and Huck entered Janet Elder's life for one of the most important. This is a wonderful story, gripping and heartwarming. And I can't say I've ever read a dog story with a more meaningful or uplifting ending. You are likely to cry some happy tears."
Jon Katz, author of Soul of a Dog: Reflections on the Spirits of the Animals of Bedlam Farm

"This dog story made me feel good about people, families, and New Jersey."
Roy Blount Jr.
 
"Puppies have always been better than people. Now comes a book where a puppy makes people better people. Pet it, feed it, even read it. You'll love it---and become a better person."
Dan Jenkins, sportswriter/novelist

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Broadway (September 28, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0767931343
  • ISBN-13: 978-0767931342
  • Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Janet Elder is a senior editor at The New York Times. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Richard Pinsky, their son, Michael, and the family dog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This beautifully written true story keeps one in suspense, even though the book's sub-title makes the outcome clear. Janet Elder's elegant prose follows the course of her own brush with cancer and her life-affirming decision to get her son a dog. Obtained to symbolize hope and new beginnings, Huck the dog is lost at the very moment the family has emerged from the shadow of serious illness. Detailing the seemingly impossible mission of locating a tiny dog in the great outdoors, this book is a skillful recreation of several agonizing days. I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. One is literally rooting for Huck throughout the dragnet for the lost dog, and Janet Elder's skill as a newspaper reporter captures the emotional immediacy of her family's plight.
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41 of 46 people found the following review helpful
An enjoyable read August 27, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
As soon as I read the description of this book, I knew I had to order it. I am a bona fide dog lover and have loved other books about dogs, like Marley and Me. This is one of those books that you hate to end. It makes you laugh and it tugs at your heart all at the same time.

I also love the way that Janet and her husband never gave up looking for Huck, even when it seemed like he would never come home and would run away from them. There were so many times when they would come so close to getting him back, but then something would happen.

It was also amazing to read about how the townspeople bent over backwards to help Huck be reunited with his family.Anyone who has a dog knows that they become a member of the family. In fact, losing a dog is like losing one of your children. You can't rest until you get some kind of closure. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs and is looking for an easy read.
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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Janet Elder's memoir, "Huck," is a delightful story of love and courage.

Elder's son, Michael, lobbies heavily to have a dog for a pet for several years until his parents relent. They make the decision to get a dog in the wake of Elder's breast cancer diagnosis, reasoning that if she does not survive then her son will have someone around to comfort him.

Elder, of course, survives. However, in the meanwhile she and her family have fallen madly in love with Huck, the red toy poodle they purchase for Michael. When Huck escapes from Aunt Barbara's New Jersey back yard while Elder's family is on vacation, Michael is devastated. The family cuts their vacation short to go back and look for the puppy. Michael never gives up hope, and the entire little New Jersey town seems to be involved in finding the puppy.

The main message of the book is about compassion and love, of course, as total strangers gather to assist in finding a little boy's beloved puppy. There is much we can all learn from this true-life story.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Way too much filler a very boring book
As an owner of a cute little 12 pound Shih Tsu I was all set to get wrapped up in a real page turner saga about the trials and tribulations involved with loosing and then... Read more
Published 9 days ago by C. Jones
A great dad, a warm and wonderful mom, and a darling young son...
The emphasis on the new puppy overshadows the all-encompassing story of a special marriage between two exceptional people who love their loveable only child more than life itself. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Carrie Sheridan
A very short tale extended so that it was painful and interminable
This book told a universal story and had a lot of potential. However, Janet Elder took the same scene: this person, that person, the other person, the other, another, another... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Julie
Not worth reading; Not worth writing
There is nothing remarkable about a dog running away for a few days. This story can be reduced to one sentence: "Our dog ran away, then we found him. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Windansea
Where Is That Doggone Dog?
This is a heartwarming true story about a family and a new, Red Poodle pup. There are the parents and Michael, their son. Michael has wanted a pup it seems like forever. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Grapes
Sweet story: lost dog in small town
This book, written by the mother of the family (who's also a professional writer), recounts developments from the viewpoints of several family members, beginning with her son's... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Deborah Carter
Heartwarming Memoir
Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family -- and a Whole Town -- About Hope and Happy Endings has got to be one of the best memoirs I've ever read. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Darlene
I really liked Huck!
This is the second time I have read Huck. I really liked this book although some of the pages I did skim because it was just too much information. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Barbara Moore
The best talisman
We hear the stories every now and again of the lost pet that miraculously finds it way home to family despite all obstacles. Huck is just such a true story. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ozark Trail Outrider
IT'S OKAY; BUT COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
I've avoided writting a review on this somewhat disappointing book. A good editor was needed to make it really touching and warm hearted. Read more
Published 8 months ago by R. Olsavicky
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