The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story [Mass Market Paperback]

Betty White (Author), Tom Sullivan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1992

Describes how Dinah, a guide dog, gave Tom Sullivan, blind since birth, his first taste of independence, and how actress Betty White took Dinah in when the dog grew to old to do her job. Reprint. AB. PW. K.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A pleasant, personalized account of two celebrities-- singer/entertainer Sullivan (If You Could See What I Hear, 1975) and TV star White (Betty White's Pet-Love, 1983; Betty White in Person, 1987)--and the guide dog who touched both their lives. When Sullivan, blind since birth, realizes that his devoted guide dog, a golden retriever named Dinah, is herself losing her sight, he begrudgingly decides to adopt a new working dog--a strapping young Labrador retriever named Nelson. But when Dinah cannot accept the ``career change'' to family pet, it is longtime friend and animal-lover White who comes to the rescue by taking Dinah in. Here, in alternating chapters written by White and Sullivan, are stories about Dinah's early and later years--her extensive and demanding travels with Sullivan (often on airplanes to strange cities and hotels) for TV appearances, golf tournaments (yes, Sullivan plays golf), and concerts, and her move into White's pet-filled household. But there's more here than show-biz glitz- -there's honest talk on family dynamics (Sullivan is married and has two children), on how a blind person overcomes fears and manages to lead a fulfilling life, on guide-dog training (Sullivan is candid about the mistakes he first makes with Dinah), and on how one graceful, devoted, hard-working canine affects positively the lives of those around her. Appealing for its autobiographical content, its insight into the lives of the blind, and its message of human-animal bonding. (Eight pages of b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First U.S. Paperback Edition edition (December 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553298704
• ISBN-13: 978-0553298703
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,177,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars the leading lady, June 21, 2011

By 

fsugrad - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: THE LEADING LADY, DINAH'S STORY (Hardcover)

I don't like sad dog books and I especially do not like to read books where the guide dog is being mistreated. But the way the book was written was very good and he explains his anger in the book.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, March 22, 2011

By 

Carrie Snyder (Schenectady, Ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read this book over and over again. Even if it wasn't Betty White, who doesn't love Betty?, it would still be a great read.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dinah's Story, February 6, 2000

By 

LINDA C NEVILLE (Fayetteville, Arkansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story (Hardcover)

A wonderful tale of a wonderful dog. However, the alternating chapters between White and Sullivan are annoyingly disruptive. A different format would have focused more on the dog that readers grow to love.