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    Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family---and a Whole Town---about Hope and Happy Endings
    Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family---and a Whole Town---about Hope and Happy Endings
    Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family---and a Whole Town---about Hope and Happy Endings
    Audiobook7 hours

    Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family---and a Whole Town---about Hope and Happy Endings

    Written by Janet Elder

    Narrated by Karen White

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Michael was four when his relentless campaign for a dog began. At seven, he made a PowerPoint presentation, "My Dog," with headings like "A Childhood Without a Dog Is a Sad Thing." His parents, Janet and Rich, were steadfast; bringing a dog into their fast-paced New York City lives was utterly impractical.

    However, on a trip to Italy, a chance happening leads Janet to reconsider, a decision then hastened by a diagnosis of breast cancer. Janet decides the excitement of a new puppy would be the perfect antidote to the strain on the family of months of arduous treatments for her illness. The prospect of a new puppy would be an affirmation of life, a powerful talisman for them all.

    On Thanksgiving weekend, soon after the grueling months of treatments are over, Huck, a sweet, mischievous, red-haired toy poodle, joins the family and wins everyone's hearts.

    A few months later, the family ventures to baseball's spring training, leaving Huck with Janet's sister in Ramsey, New Jersey. Barely twenty-four hours into the trip, Janet receives the dreaded phone call: Huck has slipped through the backyard fence and run away.

    Broken-hearted and frantic, the family catches the first plane to New Jersey to begin a search for their lost puppy. It is a race against time, for little Huck is now lost in an area entirely unfamiliar to him, facing the threat of bears and coyotes, swamps and freezing temperatures, rain and fast cars.

    Moved by the family's plight, strangers-from schoolchildren to townspeople to the police lieutenant-join the search, one that proves to be an unyielding test of determination and faith.

    Touching and warm-hearted, Huck is a spirit-lifting story about resilience, the generosity of strangers, and hope.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 28, 2010
    ISBN9781400188550
    Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family---and a Whole Town---about Hope and Happy Endings

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    Reviews for Huck

    3.5/5

    44 ratings12 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This was a short but pleasant read for one of those days when you want a happy ending.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Need more like it. I would love more dog stories.
    • 2/5
      Quick read. Not that fabulous. Very cute cover. Author just took forever and a day to tell the story that they lost a dog, everyone looked for it and then they found it. Nothing remarkable about it.
    • 4/5
      This is a wonderful, heartwarming story. There are times in our lives and there are people in our lives who need to read a feel-good story and be reminded that there are good, solid people in the world. Janet Elder's story of lost/found puppy will be very satisfying, especially for readers whose lives are not complete without pets.
    • 4/5
      Leading busy, full lives in Manhattan with their son Michael, Janet and Rich didn't feel they had time for a dog despite Michael's nearly life-long campaign for one. But when Janet is diagnosed with breast cancer, she and Rich agree that a dog would be a comfort and diversion to Michael during this difficult time, and poodle puppy Huck joins the family and they all fall in love with him. But when they take a Florida vacation to celebrate the end of Janet's cancer treatments, Huck runs away from Janet's sister's home in Ramsey, NJ. The family fly back and start a physically and emotionally demanding search that brings them in touch with the nicest and most helpful folks in Ramsey and neighboring towns. Rich, a New Yorker, can't believe or fathom the kindness of strangers. And it is one of these angel strangers who actually do help re-unite Huck with his family. Janet, despite her curt and cold cancer diagnosis, and ongoing treatment, focuses on the positive, hopeful and wonderous parts of life - family love, dog love, and incredible kindness and friendship. Makes you want to move to Ramsey, NJ! Very sweet and readable.
    • 4/5
      This is Janet's story. It's a very sweet story about a puppy, but even more, it is a story about people. Janet has no intention of getting a dog for her son, in spite of frequent requests from the time he is old enough to phrase the question. The first chapters deal with why Janet feels the why she does about Michael having a dog-- her love for animals that influenced him from when he was young; her history with beloved family dogs; and (most of all) the problems with a dog in a New York apartment and two very busy parents.Then comes Janet's cancer ordeal, which leads her to change her mind, and decide Michael needs the love and stability a dog would provide in his life.Notice, so far Michael is peripheral to the story, and Huck doesn't enter the story until about 1/4 of the way in. This is primarily Janet's story, framed by her son, his dog, and a lot of other people. And that's OK.As soon as Huck arrives on the scene, everyone in the book falls in love with him. I'm more of a cat person than a dog person, but I could see the appeal of this puppy!The book continues through Huck's integration into their lives, and then their first vacation without him, leaving him in the loving hands of family members. The book follows the family's reaction to Huck's disappearance, and the experience of searching for him.The story had me tearing up over and over again, although never quite crying. One page I'd be tearing up because of her cancer diagnosis, then because of all the help she received from others. The book goes back and forth on this emotional trip. I occasionally wondered if it would start to feel manipulative, but it never crossed that line for me.As I read this book, I kept thinking that it would make an excellent gift for animal lovers and for those that like being reminded about the good in our world, whether or not they are dedicated readers.
    • 5/5
      Michael Elder had pleaded with his parents for years to get him a dog—but the answer was always no. “No you are too young, no we live in an apartment in New York, no we are too busy to care for a dog.” His mom, Janet, had these reasons and more and his dad Rich always agreed. Still Michael tried many times to prove how important it was for him to have a dog. When he was 11 years old the family took a trip to Italy and even then, they pointed out how hard it would be to travel if they had to care for a dog. It was during this trip that Janet saw something that made her reconsider her “no dog” stand. After returning home she discovered she had cancer and again her thoughts about getting him a dog became more favorable, even if it was “just for something” to look forward to. Huck, a 5 pound red poodle puppy joined their family in November and they were smitten with the little guy. In March, as Janet felt better, they decided to take a trip to Florida and leave Huck with her sister’s family in New Jersey. The family loved dogs, had a fenced yard, and it seemed like a perfect fit. It worked out for the first day and then Huck ran away. Reading this book about how all these strangers put their effort into finding a little lost puppy, brings back faith in human kindness and shows the compassion of neighbors in small towns. It is a page turner that I couldn’t put down, and it had me asking how far I would go to find a lost dog. This is a good story for all ages.
    • 5/5
      A feel-good read, "Huck" was both easy to read and hard to put down.
    • 2/5
      Think of the Acknowledgements section at the back of most books: a name-dropping memorial of gratitude. Now consider that Huck is the title of this book; the subtitle, The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family -- and a Whole Town -- About Hope and Happy Endings is its whole story (although it’s really a story of perseverance and the kindness of strangers); ... and the 289-page narrative is an interminable Acknowledgements section.It’s been awhile since I felt disrespected as a reader but I’m there with this memoir by New York Times senior editor Janet Elder. The first paragraph introduces the author’s (breast) cancer and the second introduces Huck, a red-brown toy poodle puppy. But the third paragraph begins a long detour into backstory: her son; his desire for a dog; her marriage; meeting her husband; her happy-turned-unhappy childhood; her sister and that family; their friends; the uncaring actions of healthcare professionals; the presumed hick-ness of people outside Manhattan. We do sort of get back to Huck in time for him to run away from the author’s sister’s house in suburban New Jersey, but the story is always much more about the idea of a dog than about the dog himself.The book is tedious and overwritten, in journalistic exposition -- mostly mini-biographies of people, including the New Jersey townspeople who help search for Huck (therein the “Acknowledgements” feeling). It’s without tension until we’re within hours of finding Huck, and then it’s police-procedural type tension. I didn’t care viscerally about anyone in this book, and it seems better suited to self-publication as a family history or a thank-you note to Huck’s search party than released to a wide readership. But I did admire the collective residents of New Jersey who helped find the dog, and Huck earns two stars for its reminder of that kindness of strangers.(Review based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.)
    • 4/5
      After she gets diagnosed with breast cancer, Janet and her husband decide that it's finally time to give their son, Michael, a dog. They won't actually get the dog until she's done with chemo and radiation, but they figure it'd be a good way to keep his spirits up.They get Huck, a very cute poodle. Unfortunately, while Janet, Rich and Michael are on vacation, Huck escapes. This is the story of how a town comes together to help bring Huck home.(Spoiler: Huck is reunited with his family. I have to tell you that, because if there were a sad ending, I would have hated this book.)Instead, it's a sweet, heartwarming story about how people really are basically good.I don't trust people who don't like dogs, and this is pretty much about a whole town of dog lovers. :)
    • 2/5
      Huck is an interesting story about a families search for their missing dog. I don't know about you, but I am a huge dog lover. I have three wonderful dogs and if one of them was missing I would search until I find them. So Huck hit home for me. I couldn't picture going through what this family went through, but they never gave up hope of finding their dog which is amazing. Michael is eleven years old, and for his whole life he has wanted nothing but a dog. He feels that dog will be his best friend and keep him entertained. Michael's parents, Janet and Rich, feel that it would be unfair to the dog since they live in apartment in New York City, and they both work. Janet and Rich change their mind about getting a dog when she is about to start cancer treatments. I personally thought it would be a bad time to get a puppy, but I can see how they think it would be good for Michael.I was sad to hear that Huck escaped while Janet's sister was watching him. I think that would be awful to get the call that your dog was missing and you were away and couldn't do anything about it. I would recommend Huck to any animal lover. Especially someone who considers their dogs to be apart of their family. Huck makes you think of the good in people who work hard to help you in your time of need.
    • 4/5
      Huck is not just a story about a lost dog. It is a book about surmounting the odds, winning in the face of adversity, and not giving up. It's about finding strength in yourself and those around you. A boy who won't give up on his dream to find his dog. A mother who won't give in after being diagnosed with breast cancer. A man who will not give up on his love and faith in both his son and his wife, no matter the tragedies they face. It's about tears, pain, and great joy. It's about the love a fam...more Huck is not just a story about a lost dog. It is a book about surmounting the odds, winning in the face of adversity, and not giving up. It's about finding strength in yourself and those around you. A boy who won't give up on his dream to find his dog. A mother who won't give in after being diagnosed with breast cancer. A man who will not give up on his love and faith in both his son and his wife, no matter the tragedies they face. It's about tears, pain, and great joy. It's about the love a family finds in a dog, a town of strangers, and most of all in themselves.