by Jon Katz
First published 2008
Jon Katz has found his calling with Izzy, a remarkable border collie rescue from Bedlam Farm. Together they work as trained hospice volunteers, visiting nursing facilities across upstate New York. Izzy brings joy to an eighty-year-old Alzheimer's patient who smiles for the first time in months. A retired logger lights up remembering his own cherished dog when he meets Izzy. While Izzy connects with patients, Katz supports their families and confronts uncomfortable truths about his own past. Everything changes when Lenore arrives at the farm. This spirited black Labrador puppy, soon nicknamed the Hound of Love, transforms the household with her endless affection and cheerful nature. Lenore pulls Katz from his darker thoughts and rekindles his passion for working with dogs. She strengthens his bond to Bedlam Farm and the community around him. Through both dogs, Katz discovers what friendship, family, and faith truly mean.
Genres: animals, family-life, dogs, relationships, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Bedlam Farm, Upstate New York
224 pages · Kindle Edition · Villard