Afternoon Book
Club
Weekends with
Daisy
Sharron Kahn
Luttrell
November 2015
“The weekend program for prison-raised service dogs
sounded perfect. Pick up a puppy on Friday; return it on Sunday. A new puppy
each year, no strings attached. Except that the pup is a Golden Labrador called
Daisy…and Daisy is not a no strings-attached dog.” -- Sharron Luttrell
The Afternoon Book Club Members and drop in fans of
Daisy came together to share feelings about the Halifax Reads book selection
for 2015.
Everyone said they whole heartedly enjoyed the book,
even those who were not dog people as well as those who don’t currently have
dogs. Several readers recommended the book to friends and family going so far
as to purchase copies and send them along. The author touched the hearts of
everyone and elicited deep feelings about companion ship and the connection
between humans and their dogs. Some told deeply personal stories about profound
experiences they had witnessed with dogs and children, the elderly and people
with disabilities. One reader asked if anyone in the group was as interested as
she was to be a puppy raiser. No one else expressed an interest in training a
service dog but they wished that they could do it.
The afternoon book discussion met after the Saturday
author’s visit with her current dog, Samurai aka Sam. Readers who attended the
visit were reassured to know that the dogs are not subject to working round the
clock; they can play and when placed relax with their handlers. The bottom line
is that they like to work and live to please their owners. Readers
decided that this was just not a story about a woman and her dog but also about
letting go and how a greater good will result from having the strength to
recognize what needs to be done. Sharron Luttrell influenced readers with her
story of how her dedication to Daisy changed her life and those around her.
Everyone was glad that they took the opportunity to read Weekends with Daisy and were eager to talk about the book. The
discussion went beyond the allotted time and no one noticed.
Have you
read Weekends with Daisy? What did you think? Please share your thoughts in
comments.
