Book Review of
Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust
“I’m sorry,” the doctor said. “He is permanently and totally blind. There is nothing we can do for him.”
George and Sarah Hingson looked at each other, devastated. Their six-month-old son, Michael was a happy, strawberry blond baby boy, healthy and normal in every way except one. When the Hingsons switched on a light or made silly faces, Michael did not react. Ever. “My best suggestion is that you send him to a home for the blind,” the doctor continued. “He will never be able to do anything for himself.”
Forty-seven years later, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy was born in the whelping unit of Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California. The puppy’s name was Roselle. On September 11, 2001, she saved Michael’s life. This is Roselle’s story too.
Grace's Review
Michael could do almost anything a normal boy could. He enjoyed riding his bike and playing all sorts of games with the local boys, but he was blind since birth. Michael has an incredible story of how he managed life being blind and then how he survived 9/11. This book jumps from Michael’s experience of 9/11 and his past which I found a little annoying because I prefer chronological order. The book takes a few chapters to get into. It creates a good perspective on what people were experiencing on 9/11 and how it is to be blind. This is a good book for teens and adults.