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Book Synopsis:
First came the boom: the loud, deep, unapologetic bellow that seemed to erupt from the very core of the earth. Eerily, the majestic high-rise slowly leaned to the south. On the 78th floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower, no alarms sounded, and no one had information about what had happened at 8:46 a.m. on Sept.. 11, 2001. What should have been a normal workday for thousands of people. All that was known to the people inside was what they could see out the windows: smoke and fire and millions of pieces of burning paper and other debris falling through the air.
Blind since birth, Michael couldn’t see a thing, but he could hear the sounds of shattering glass, falling debris, and terrified people flooding around him and his guide dog, Roselle. However, Roselle sat calmly beside him. In that moment, Michael chose to trust Roselle’s judgment and not to panic. They are a team.
My Review:
5/5 stars. I don’t usually cry when reading books, but this book brought tears to my eyes multiple times. It was an incredible story of a hardworking, well-trained guide dog and her resilient owner. It was a memoir of 9/11, an autobiography of a man growing up blind, and a generally informative book on many different topics.
The main focus of Thunder Dog is the 9/11 story, but it jumps around a lot between the present day and the author’s life. The author also pauses the story many times to share information. You’ll find the history of accessible technology, how guide dogs are trained, how blind people navigate, background information on the events of 9/11, and more. There’s so much packed into one book, but it never feels disjointed.
Rated: Mild. There are only one or two instances of mild language and God’s name taken in vain. The level of violence and gore is what you’d expect from a story about 9/11 — mentions of people injured and dead, the building falling down, the smoke and fires, etc. — but it’s not described in much detail.
