Cooper tells his story in first person narrative, but the stories about his childhood and past are told in third person narrative which is set in italics. The story is told from several viewpoint and it’s a bit confusing until the reader gets into the flow of words. Cooper led a deprived childhood for three reasons: his father was an alcoholic and never able to keep a job his mother died when Cooper and his brother were fairly young and his brother Jimmy was (and is) a sociopath - someone with no compassion and no moral compass. But he is also trying to come to terms with living in the same small town as his father and brother. He is terrified of people.Ĭooper finds evidence of the dog’s existence and decides to try to help it. Living in the wild with injuries does not lead to a happy ending, and the injuries inflicted on the puppy are not just physical. Of course, there is the story of the dog, a sweet and eager puppy who is abused and almost killed, but who manages to escape.

He resigned from the force and accepted a position back in his home town as animal warden. For reasons that become clear in the story, that loss left him unable to function. The loss of his dog tore apart Cooper’s heart and soul. The story is about Cooper Harrison, who was a member of the Boston police department’s K-9 unit until his dog was killed, and he was injured, while on duty. With “The Dog Who Saved Me,” Susan Wilson has created another touching, thoughtful and emotion-filled story about a man and a dog - both scarred physically and emotionally.

The dog who danced a novel susan wilson