Thunder Dog is
non-fiction. The book tells the story of Michael’s escape from the World Trade
Centre following the terrorist attack on September 11. It is an account of
courage, trust and teamwork as Michael and his faithful guide, Roselle,
descended the 1,463 stairs from the 78 floor of Tower 1 and then made their way
through the dust choked streets when Tower 2 collapsed into rubble, choking
dust, and flying debris. In the course of Michael’s account, the reader also
meets some of the people who were there on that harrowing day. We meet some of
the survivors and encounter others who undoubtedly perished in the
tragedy.
However, the book is more than an account
of 9/11. In the course of the telling, Michael gives us a glimpse into his life.
He tells the reader about growing up in a small town through to his life as a
working adult in a high level job in New York City. He tells us about his
excitement in acquiring his very first guide dog through to his relationship
with Roselle, the dog who guided him out of the Trade Centre disaster. He
mentions training of guide dogs, his experiences with Braille and assistive
devices, and much more.
Although for myself, I didn’t experience
any vision loss until I was an adult, and then only to the extent of vision
impairment or legal blindness, I found that I could identify with many of
Michael’s thoughts and insights. There were also points in the book where I
didn’t quite agree with the views presented. Whichever way you look at it, this book is
thought provoking and one can’t help but be inspired by Michael’s courage,
determination, confidence and independent spirit.
Thunder Dog is available from the audio collection of the CNIB Library.
Very interesting, so many floors
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