First published 2011
Luis Carlos Montalván returns from two combat tours in Iraq as a decorated Army captain, but his war injuries follow him home. Physical wounds, traumatic brain injury, and severe PTSD leave him unable to climb stairs or take a bus to the VA hospital. He drinks heavily and isolates himself from family and friends. Pain prevents him from sleeping or bending over. Luis begins to question whether recovery is possible. Then he meets Tuesday, a golden retriever trained to assist disabled veterans. The dog can turn on lights, open doors, and detect anxiety attacks before they begin. Tuesday has his own troubled past, having lived with prisoners and at a home for difficult boys. His sensitive nature makes it hard for him to trust humans. Both man and dog carry wounds that need healing. Their partnership becomes something deeper than a typical service relationship. Together, they discover that two damaged souls can help each other recover from trauma and find peace.
Genres: psychology, military-fiction, self-help, non-fiction, biography-memoir, disability
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Iraq
Period: 21st-century
252 pages · Kindle Edition · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness, substance-abuse, suicide