Saving Cinnamon: The Amazing True Story of a Missing Military Puppy and the Desperate Mission to Bring Her Home (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Navy Reservist Mark Feffer reports for duty in Afghanistan, he finds an unexpected visitor on base: a stray mixed-breed puppy named Cinnamon. The mutt quickly becomes a base mascot, and morale booster, for the whole unit. At the end of his tour, Feffer is resolved to take Cinnamon home with him to America; unfortunately, he trusts her with a professional dog handler, who abandons Cinnamon at an airport. With Cinnamon missing, Feffer and his family-including the author, his sister-began an international search for the missing canine. The heartwarming story of a soldier and his dog, Sullivan's narrative isn't polished and occasionally meanders, but draws readers in with her depiction of Cinnamon, whose perseverance and good nature are palpable on each page. Animal lovers may get their hearts broken several times over the course of the story, and will be tempted to get involved with Operation Baghdad Pups, an organization that helps veterans adopt the dogs that gave them comfort overseas.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“At the heart of Cinnamon's story is the fact that love is the most powerful energy on the planet. Saving Cinnamon is a wonderful tale of compassion and perseverance. This book reminds us of how many good people there are throughout the world and proves that animal’s lives bring meaning to our own and make life worth living.  I hope more people will be inspired to save a stray or a shelter dog after reading this book.”--Randy Grim, Founder of Stray Rescue; author of Miracle Dog and Don’t Dump the Dog

“Christine Sullivan’s riveting account of Saving Cinnamon touched me deeply. She demonstrates how determination and faith can get a puppy found in a war zone to her new home in America. Suspenseful and filled with love, both for family and innocent animals, I highly recommend Saving Cinnamon to everyone who believes love can make a miracle." --Deborah Eades, author of Every Rescued Dog Has a Tale

"Saving Cinnamon  is an amazing story that will warm your heart and keep you turning the pages. Christine Sullivan's story is a testament to the power of believing in what you want despite all that seems stacked against you. Beautifully written and suspenseful till the very end. A recommended read for all.” --Jack Canfield, Co-Author, Chicken Soup for the Soul Series

 

“…Sullivan’s exhilarating documentary kicks into overdrive with a heady mixture of soul, technique and resourcing that maneuver around more curves and face more challenges than a James Bond movie. But it’s this intoxicating passion and commitment of all involved that eventually produces a warm-hearted celebration you’ll never forget.”–City Dog

 

"I just read the last page and I am overjoyed with the story. I have this incredible urge to get on a plane and go meet Cinnamon. I will make sure that happens in the near future." --Terri Crisp, SPCA International

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312596286
• ISBN-13: 978-0312596286
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #97,162 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #77 in

  Books > Home & Garden > Animal Care & Pets > Essays

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Has the Makings of a Good Movie, November 14, 2009

By	Charles F. Myers (Portland, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

The plight of Cinnamon and the Herculean efforts needed to get her from Afghanistan to Maryland make a fascinating and heartwarming story. I am glad Ms. Sullivan took the time to write the book.

The book itself is somewhat on the long side. I found myself skimming through many sections, especially the many (often repetitive) emails which are reproduced verbatim. I wish the editor had tightened up the book a little more.

A good script writer could transform this book into a nice movie. I certainly hope that some smart Hollywood studio has the foresight to buy the movie rights and actually make the movie!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Needed editing, December 5, 2009

By	sun citizen (Georgetown, Tx) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great story, but the author was very repetitive and the book could have and should have been shorter. A good editor could have helped here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A big "awww...." for dog loves, January 8, 2010

By	Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

OK, I admit it: I read this book because there was a dog on the cover. The book exceeded my expectations. Christine Sullivan shares the details of Cinnamon, an exceptionally sweet dog who turned up on a military base in Afghanistan. Just a puppy, Cinnamon won the hearts of the soldiers and sailors stationed on the base.

Christine's brother, Mark, became especially attached to Cinnamon. He arranged to send her home with a pet transportation company. The dog's hander turned out to be irresponsible. When faced with a problem connecting in Turkey, he apparently kicked the dog crate and made a scene. And Mark was left wondering where the dog had gone.

The book traces the way Christine found a dog lost half way around the world, via a series of emails and phone calls. Even when you know the outcome, the story generates suspense. Christine is a natural writer. She uses simple, clear language that's enjoyable to read. It's the kind of "invisible" writing that nonfiction authors often struggle to achieve, where we focus more on what she's writing about than on the writing. I wasn't fazed by the emails Christine reproduces. Okay, I might have skimmed a couple, but we get to hear what's happening in the voices of everyone involved in Cinnamon's rescue.

I agree with the reviewer who said this book could be a movie. Kevin Bacon could play Mark and I'm not sure who would play Christine, who's the heroine of the story as well as the narrator. Unfortunately, a movie would have the same issues as the movie Blindside. Coincidences and lucky breaks are allowed in life but not in fictional narratives.

Perhaps the luckiest break came when a contract engineer accepted Mark's offer to escort Cinnamon home on a commercial flight. It was the ultimate win-win.

Anyone who has rescued a dog knows the joy of watching a newcomer adapt to a new home. Christine wisely shares just enough of the story's happy ending, without going overboard.

As a bonus, readers get a glimpse into life in the all-volunteer military during wartime. As a forty-one year old Navy reservist, Mark gets deployed to perform Army functions. We get a sense of the boredom associated with daily life on these bases and the tedium of military travel. And we also learn how military leaders think out of the box. I loved the story of the tough Colonel who fell in love with Cinnamon, even marking out time to take her for walks.

This is one of the best nonfiction dog books I've read. I hope Christine will demonstrate her not inconsiderable writing skills in the future.