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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Digital audio read by Fred Berman, Christina Delaine, Rick Adamson, Jeff Gurner.
Three people connected by one dog. Rick Stanton is the promising professional baseball player who finds the puppy he’ll call Pax in an alley. Francesca is the love of Rick’s life, the young wife he leaves behind when he’s drafted into World War II. Keller Nicholson is the lonely orphaned young man who will bond with Pax in the Army’s K-9 Corp. When the war is over, Keller brings Pax back to the couple with a request to keep him. But Rick has been badly wounded and is broken in both body and spirit. Keller agrees to stay on for a time as Rick’s aide, helping Francesca with the heavier tasks that are simply too much for her. He’ll also help train Pax to be Rick’s helper.
This is a kind of romance novel with a twist. There’s plenty of drama and emotion, as well as the potential for new relationships. We have three people who are all emotionally fragile, and yet somehow are “guided” by this remarkable animal. That synopsis sounds trite and predictable, and in a sense the book is that, but I have to say that I was entertained and engaged by the story, as unlikely and unbelievable as some elements were.
I’m not a dog person, but I had previously read Wilson’s One Good Dog which I thought was very good. This book doesn’t quite come to that level, but it’s a decent read.
Each of the four talented voice artists who narrate takes on a different major character, including Pax (the dog). Unfortunately, other than for Christina Delaine, the sole woman, I can’t tell which artist is voicing which character. Still it’s an effective device to use different narrators for each change in point of view. Berman and Adamson also co-narrated the audio of [b:One Good Dog|6928893|One Good Dog|Susan Wilson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442535715s/6928893.jpg|10475576].
my6boyzmom's review against another edition
4.0
I received this ARC through First Reads from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I love dogs. Namely, my own dogs :). I am a complete pushover for a good story about a great dog. And this is most certainly that.
This is a simply amazing story of a rescued puppy named Pax, his life and the lives of those he touched. Rick is the professional baseball player that first found Pax and Francesca joins the family shortly after when she and Rick are married. When Rick is called off to war, they decide to allow Pax to "do his bit" as well by joining the K-9 corps. His partner in the war is Keller and they form a very tight bond. When the war is over, everyone wants to keep Pax. Through this dilemma, it is decided that they will all stay with Pax.
I loved and hated each of these characters (except for Pax - only love for Pax). I really loved when the narrative switched back to Pax and we got to see his point of view. It is heart wrenching and heartwarming and I honestly didn't know how Susan Wilson would wrap up this story without making me angry.
I would recommend this book to any and all animal lovers. If you don't care for animals, you should also read this book.
I love dogs. Namely, my own dogs :). I am a complete pushover for a good story about a great dog. And this is most certainly that.
This is a simply amazing story of a rescued puppy named Pax, his life and the lives of those he touched. Rick is the professional baseball player that first found Pax and Francesca joins the family shortly after when she and Rick are married. When Rick is called off to war, they decide to allow Pax to "do his bit" as well by joining the K-9 corps. His partner in the war is Keller and they form a very tight bond. When the war is over, everyone wants to keep Pax. Through this dilemma, it is decided that they will all stay with Pax.
I loved and hated each of these characters (except for Pax - only love for Pax). I really loved when the narrative switched back to Pax and we got to see his point of view. It is heart wrenching and heartwarming and I honestly didn't know how Susan Wilson would wrap up this story without making me angry.
I would recommend this book to any and all animal lovers. If you don't care for animals, you should also read this book.
sci_mom's review against another edition
4.0
I received this as a goodreads giveaway a while ago (a long while ago) and it got buried in my 'to read' pile (so many books, so little time). I am glad that I found it. It isn't complicated or sappy. It is a simple story about three humans and a dog set in circumstances that tests all of them in different ways. It reads like a slightly scratchy blanket on a cold night; it keeps you warm, even if it's a little uncomfortable sometimes. The epilogue could have been left off, in my opinion, but that's about it. I would definitely recommend it.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
The sweet and heartwarming story of a remarkable dog who touches three people's lives, Susan Wilson's A Man of His Own is sure to be a hit with animal lovers.
Rescued as stray when he was just eight weeks old by aspiring baseball pitcher Rick Stanton, Pax is a beloved family pet that is a source of comfort to his wife, Francesca, while Rick is on the road during baseball season and after Rick is drafted into service during WW II. But the most important role of Pax's life comes when he becomes a part of the Dogs for Defense program and he fully captures the heart of his trainer, Keller Nicholson. Reluctant to return Pax to the Stantons after both he and Pax have been released from service, Keller accepts Stantons' offer to become Rick's caregiver. With Pax as the heart and soul of their unusual family, Rick grows increasingly despondent as he struggles to overcome his debilitating injuries while Keller and Francesca are confronted with an unexpected attraction to one another.
A Man of His Own spans the years leading up to, during and after World War II. Beginning with Rick's rise from the minor leagues to the majors, his early years of marriage to Francesca and a brief snapshot of his wartime service, the majority of the novel takes place after Rick and Keller have returned home from the war. Rick's struggles to deal with his catastrophic life-altering and career ending injuries are heartbreaking and he finds it impossible to confide his guilt over his role in the loss of his comrades in arms. Francesca is still deeply in love with Rick, but she is growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to adapt to his new circumstances. For the first time in his life Keller experiences unconditional love when he is paired with Pax and while he initially agrees to stay because he cannot bear to be separated from him, Keller soon finds himself falling in love with Francesca while caring for Rick. But the best part of the story is Pax and his unwavering love and loyalty to the humans in his life and his uncanny ability to recognize and fulfill all of their different needs.
Told in present tense from all of the characters' (including Pax) perspectives, A Man of His Own is an engrossing story of love and devotion that unfolds at a leisurely pace. Susan Wilson keeps readers guessing exactly how this engaging and emotional novel will end. A lovely epilogue ties up all of the loose ends and brings this beautiful tale to a bit of a teary finish. An all around wonderfully unique story that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Rescued as stray when he was just eight weeks old by aspiring baseball pitcher Rick Stanton, Pax is a beloved family pet that is a source of comfort to his wife, Francesca, while Rick is on the road during baseball season and after Rick is drafted into service during WW II. But the most important role of Pax's life comes when he becomes a part of the Dogs for Defense program and he fully captures the heart of his trainer, Keller Nicholson. Reluctant to return Pax to the Stantons after both he and Pax have been released from service, Keller accepts Stantons' offer to become Rick's caregiver. With Pax as the heart and soul of their unusual family, Rick grows increasingly despondent as he struggles to overcome his debilitating injuries while Keller and Francesca are confronted with an unexpected attraction to one another.
A Man of His Own spans the years leading up to, during and after World War II. Beginning with Rick's rise from the minor leagues to the majors, his early years of marriage to Francesca and a brief snapshot of his wartime service, the majority of the novel takes place after Rick and Keller have returned home from the war. Rick's struggles to deal with his catastrophic life-altering and career ending injuries are heartbreaking and he finds it impossible to confide his guilt over his role in the loss of his comrades in arms. Francesca is still deeply in love with Rick, but she is growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to adapt to his new circumstances. For the first time in his life Keller experiences unconditional love when he is paired with Pax and while he initially agrees to stay because he cannot bear to be separated from him, Keller soon finds himself falling in love with Francesca while caring for Rick. But the best part of the story is Pax and his unwavering love and loyalty to the humans in his life and his uncanny ability to recognize and fulfill all of their different needs.
Told in present tense from all of the characters' (including Pax) perspectives, A Man of His Own is an engrossing story of love and devotion that unfolds at a leisurely pace. Susan Wilson keeps readers guessing exactly how this engaging and emotional novel will end. A lovely epilogue ties up all of the loose ends and brings this beautiful tale to a bit of a teary finish. An all around wonderfully unique story that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.
my6boyzmom's review
4.0
I received this ARC through First Reads from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I love dogs. Namely, my own dogs :). I am a complete pushover for a good story about a great dog. And this is most certainly that.
This is a simply amazing story of a rescued puppy named Pax, his life and the lives of those he touched. Rick is the professional baseball player that first found Pax and Francesca joins the family shortly after when she and Rick are married. When Rick is called off to war, they decide to allow Pax to "do his bit" as well by joining the K-9 corps. His partner in the war is Keller and they form a very tight bond. When the war is over, everyone wants to keep Pax. Through this dilemma, it is decided that they will all stay with Pax.
I loved and hated each of these characters (except for Pax - only love for Pax). I really loved when the narrative switched back to Pax and we got to see his point of view. It is heart wrenching and heartwarming and I honestly didn't know how Susan Wilson would wrap up this story without making me angry.
I would recommend this book to any and all animal lovers. If you don't care for animals, you should also read this book.
I love dogs. Namely, my own dogs :). I am a complete pushover for a good story about a great dog. And this is most certainly that.
This is a simply amazing story of a rescued puppy named Pax, his life and the lives of those he touched. Rick is the professional baseball player that first found Pax and Francesca joins the family shortly after when she and Rick are married. When Rick is called off to war, they decide to allow Pax to "do his bit" as well by joining the K-9 corps. His partner in the war is Keller and they form a very tight bond. When the war is over, everyone wants to keep Pax. Through this dilemma, it is decided that they will all stay with Pax.
I loved and hated each of these characters (except for Pax - only love for Pax). I really loved when the narrative switched back to Pax and we got to see his point of view. It is heart wrenching and heartwarming and I honestly didn't know how Susan Wilson would wrap up this story without making me angry.
I would recommend this book to any and all animal lovers. If you don't care for animals, you should also read this book.
sarab115's review
4.0
I've read all of Susan Wilson's books, and have loved them all. I was a little turned off by the cover and title of this one, skeptical that I would enjoy it like I did her other stories.
Well, I guess the old 'don't judge a book by its cover' is true.
This book really isn't all about the dog, although Pax does intertwine all the characters together. The characters are wonderful ~ you can't help but root for their happiness.
And for all you dog lovers out there....it wasn't one of those sob for pages book where the dog gets sick and dies.
I love reading historical fiction about WWII, so the setting was an added bonus, and I learned a few things too.
Well, I guess the old 'don't judge a book by its cover' is true.
This book really isn't all about the dog, although Pax does intertwine all the characters together. The characters are wonderful ~ you can't help but root for their happiness.
And for all you dog lovers out there....it wasn't one of those sob for pages book where the dog gets sick and dies.
I love reading historical fiction about WWII, so the setting was an added bonus, and I learned a few things too.
mdg1502's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nicholsphoto's review against another edition
4.0
My only complaint- Rick caused the rift In the family and was a complainer and a jerk in the story
candidceillie's review against another edition
3.0
Rick Stanton was a promising professional baseball player with dreams of playing in the major leagues and starting a family with his young wife, Francesca, when World War II changed everything. Rick returns from the war with his body broken and his dreams shattered. But it was not just body and spirit he sacrificed for the war. He and Francesca volunteered their beloved dog, Pax, for the Army’s K-9 Corp, not knowing if they’d ever see him again.
Keller Nicholson is the soldier who fought the war with Pax by his side, and the two have the kind of profound bond that can only be forged in war. Pax is the closest Keller has to a sense of family, and he can’t bear the thought of returning him to the Stantons. But Rick and Francesca refuse to give him up. Instead, an arrangement is made: Keller will work as Rick’s live-in aide. And thus an unlikely family is formed, with steadfast Pax at the center. As they try to build a new life out of the ashes, Keller and Francesca struggle to ignore their growing attraction to each other, and Rick, believing that he can no longer give Francesca what she needs and wants, quietly plans a way out.
All three of them need healing. All three of them are lost. And in Susan Wilson's A Man of His Own, Pax, with his unconditional love and unwavering loyalty, may be the only one who can guide them home.
I saw this on Netgalley, and saw that Garth Stein, the author of The Art of Racing In The Rain, recommended it, so what had been a possible choice became a definite one. Believing that this book would be horribly sad, I decided to put reading it off until I had enough time to just cry over it for several hours.
However, it really wasn’t as sad as I expected it to be, though there were definitely some very sad moments. It’s hard to see people have as little hope as Rick did after he returned from the war, but I was glad to read the epilogue.
I didn’t particularly care for Rick, though I can imagine that being a shadow of the man he once had been, and by what he saw as his own fault, it would make it difficult to find hope within the walls of his sickroom. I found myself praying for him to find hope, and I’m glad he finally found some, at least enough to spur the
I think my favorite character was Keller, and his relationship with Pax was absolutely wonderful. I loved that despite everything that happened to him throughout his childhood, he kept going and never gave up on himself or the others around him. I also liked that he was always pushing Rick to not give up on himself, even when it was clear that that would be the easiest option.
My rating for this book would be 3.5 stars. It was a good book, but it didn’t really grab me the way The Art of Racing In The Rain did, and that’s what I was looking for. It’s a very solid read, and I’m glad I read it.
Keller Nicholson is the soldier who fought the war with Pax by his side, and the two have the kind of profound bond that can only be forged in war. Pax is the closest Keller has to a sense of family, and he can’t bear the thought of returning him to the Stantons. But Rick and Francesca refuse to give him up. Instead, an arrangement is made: Keller will work as Rick’s live-in aide. And thus an unlikely family is formed, with steadfast Pax at the center. As they try to build a new life out of the ashes, Keller and Francesca struggle to ignore their growing attraction to each other, and Rick, believing that he can no longer give Francesca what she needs and wants, quietly plans a way out.
All three of them need healing. All three of them are lost. And in Susan Wilson's A Man of His Own, Pax, with his unconditional love and unwavering loyalty, may be the only one who can guide them home.
I saw this on Netgalley, and saw that Garth Stein, the author of The Art of Racing In The Rain, recommended it, so what had been a possible choice became a definite one. Believing that this book would be horribly sad, I decided to put reading it off until I had enough time to just cry over it for several hours.
However, it really wasn’t as sad as I expected it to be, though there were definitely some very sad moments. It’s hard to see people have as little hope as Rick did after he returned from the war, but I was glad to read the epilogue.
I didn’t particularly care for Rick, though I can imagine that being a shadow of the man he once had been, and by what he saw as his own fault, it would make it difficult to find hope within the walls of his sickroom. I found myself praying for him to find hope, and I’m glad he finally found some, at least enough to spur the
I think my favorite character was Keller, and his relationship with Pax was absolutely wonderful. I loved that despite everything that happened to him throughout his childhood, he kept going and never gave up on himself or the others around him. I also liked that he was always pushing Rick to not give up on himself, even when it was clear that that would be the easiest option.
My rating for this book would be 3.5 stars. It was a good book, but it didn’t really grab me the way The Art of Racing In The Rain did, and that’s what I was looking for. It’s a very solid read, and I’m glad I read it.