Customer Reviews

Where the Trail Grows Faint: A Year in the Life of a Therapy Dog Team (River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize)

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"What to make of a diminished thing" is the question Robert Frost asks at the end of his poem, "The Oven Bird." Lynne Hugo's marvelous book asks the same question as she and her therapy dog Hannah traverse the landscape of nursing homes, illness and loss, care giving and middle age. And like Frost, Hugo draws radiance from a somber subject. It's a book of heartache, but equally a book of laughter, with deep lessons about accepting change and finding grace in unlikely places. You'll forge a bond with these two wise travelers, human and canine, as they help us to define a life well lived.

I have no great interest in either dogs or in gerontology, however, I do have a beloved 92 year old friend who has been in and out of two different nursing homes in the past year. Feeling the need for more information and support, I picked up TRAILS and decided to read it. What a good decision that was! I not only gleaned new insights,I was awed with the job Ms. Hugo did presenting such complex issues with balance, sensitivity, compassion and humor. This helpful and very readable book is not only a must for all of us who face making decisions about aging loved ones, but for those of us who want to make informed choices about our own futures.

I LOVED this book! Having worked in a nursing home during summers in college, I know how sad some of them can be. I wish Hannah and Lynne had been around to bring light into the lives of the residents in the home where I worked. I laughed out loud as often as I shed a few tears while reading this book. I also felt compelled to read certain sections out loud to my husband (not a dog-lover) who got a chuckle out of them as well. Just coincidentally, we both attended a seminar about long-term care insurance a couple of days ago, when I was just midway through the book. I couldn't help but think that my discovery of the book was perhaps not entirely coincidental. I loved the notion that caregivers benefit as much as those being cared for, and that "creative nurturing" comes in all forms. "Anything counts, everything matters." Whether you're trying to help aging parents make decisions about their care, wondering how to plan for your own future, or just wanting to reflect on life, death, hope, and the joy and comfort that animals bring to us, I couldn't recomment a book more highly than this one.

I can see why this book won a national writing prize. What a sheer pleasure to read. It's thoughtful, deeply considered and the language sparkles as the author deals with terribly difficult issues but helps us through them by injecting literally hilarious episodes at just the right moments. Marley and Me has nothing funnier than sections of this book. My dog and I are Delta Society volunteers, and I, too, have aging parents. Much of this helped me think about my own life as well as my parents' situations, and I'm really grateful that a friend recommended this book. Now I'm passing the favor on and giving this my most enthusiastic endorsement.

An enjoyable book! I was moved emotionally by the connections of the dog therapy team, the residents they visited, and the nature around them. Nice symbolism showing how human life events parallel changes in nature.

I throughly enjoyed reading "Where the Trail Grows Faint: A Year in the Life of a Therapy Dog Team" by Lynne Hugo. Lynne Hugo is masterful at blending the story of Hannah, her beautiful chocolate lab therapy dog, with the lives of the people who are in the nursing home, along with the lives of her own aging parents. Ms. Hugo has a beautiful way with words; her prose creates atmosphere and feeling....so much so that at the conclusion of the book, I immediately went to visit my own aging mother-in-law, who is in an assisted living facility. This book was clearly written from the heart!

Lynne Hugo offers us a beautiful, heartfelt narrative on day to day visits with her therapy dog. A caring depiction of the work we do - and all the intense feelings that are brought up within therapeutic visits. A lovely, lovely read!

Kate Nicoll, MSW, author: Soul Friends

GREAT BOOK if you're looking for help and inspiration training and working with your therapy dog. The author shines a personal light on the training process and all its mishaps--which built my confidence. She and her (rescued) Lab got certified with Therapy Dogs International, which is virtually the same as the Delta Society. This book is about her first year working with her dog, and she includes all the extra techniques she figured out in the field to make them a better, more effective team. There are some hilarious incidents related in this book, along with stories that put the work in life context and show the meaning and true impact. Beautifully written, too. Very highly recommended.

thanks for a book like this i have a therapy dog myself i trained for me and then i followed his lead when he showed he wanted and needed and was so good at helping others

i have only read excepts of the book but will buy it my dad is dying of parkinson disease 1000 miles away i am a daddy girl so this time is hard anyway since i have no way to see him

your book helps so much

turns out my dads dog-has saved my dad a few times himself by going to get mom everytime dad falls or needs things

i know if i could get up to dad i could train the dog to do more

the dog is a cocker spaniel raised from 2 weeks old by my mom,but seems to glue itself to dad as dad got sicker

as i always said dogs know more then we think they do and do so much for people

what a gift god gave with allowing us a small time with his critters

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I am grateful to Lynne Hugo for her heartwarming and insightful book. She encouraged me to continue to visit nursing homes and Alzheimer patients with my toy poodle, Lucy, even though she is not trained to perfection. Lucy brings joy to residents and care providers. God has presented me with the opportunity to share my dog and I am proud to serve Him in this way.