Helpful Score: 36
Ok, so I found this book by it's cover. I'm a sap for any story with an animal, especially a dog, in it. As always, my love of dogs didn't let me down. Wonderful story - I'm so sorry it had to end. While this amazing dog, Lloyd-Cooper, wasn't the main character in the book, he certainly took the front and center roll and ran with it. I think that this book is a "must read" for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one and even for those that haven't. The coming together and sharing of the other characters in the book is well done and very believable. I truly loved this book and will recommend it to anyone who will listen to me.
That being said,if you see it come around, order it or better yet, Wish List it so you can be sure to get it. Sorry to say, my copy is a keeper.
That being said,if you see it come around, order it or better yet, Wish List it so you can be sure to get it. Sorry to say, my copy is a keeper.
Helpful Score: 23
I picked this book up on a whim at a big box bookstore (a friend of the family has a dog just like the one on the cover whom I adore) and just sped through it. Fantastic book about how pets can help heal our hearts and become major parts of our life. Great read that I suggest to all dog lovers and even some cat lovers.
Helpful Score: 17
Anyone who is going through a loss can identify with this book. Rocky finds her husband dead on the floor of her house due to a heart attack. She reacts by making a radical change, changing her career, moving to Maine and becoming an animal control warden. She meets a community of people who live on the small island. One of the main characters, Lloyd, is an injured labrador retriever who needs a place to stay. The secret that Lloyd brings with him will change Rocky's life. The book includes a mystery of Lloyd's injury.
The characters are well-drawn, not one dimensional, and the plot makes this a fast-paced exciting book to read. Although Lloyd is a character in the story, this book is not for animal lovers only.
The characters are well-drawn, not one dimensional, and the plot makes this a fast-paced exciting book to read. Although Lloyd is a character in the story, this book is not for animal lovers only.
Helpful Score: 8
It's about loss and our fine furry friends who are faithful and perhaps very insightful into the human psyche
Helpful Score: 8
I was really looking forward to this book. Just from the reviews I read on here I was waiting for a WOW! Just an Okay is all I can give it.Sorry!
Helpful Score: 6
The photo of the dog on the cover is the best part of this book. The first half of the book was good and then it became very predictable. I finished it but I felt cheated, like the author had to churn out the story to meet her deadline. The poor editing job detracted from the storyline. There were many missing words and singular nouns in place of the correct plural nouns.
Very good read, about beginnings and endings and endings that are beginnings. Doesn't matter if you like animals or not, if you do, it's a plus, if not it just shows how pets can fit into our lives and help us to understand the many complexities that we call life and how to get through them with a little help.
Helpful Score: 3
While the subject matter of this book is sobering - the loss of a loved one and the subsequent struggles to cope - the characters created are vivid and compelling. Each of the main and supporting characters are unique, with quirks and foibles that call out for more inspection. I could have happily read about these characters for many more pages. The insertion of the mystery and intrigue was invigorating and fun. This is a quick and engaging read, and I highly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 3
This book had much more depth than I expected. The characters were well drawn. The prose was often striking. And the plot was interesting. I recommend this highly.
Helpful Score: 3
The character of the grieving widow escaping to an island off Maine to resort her life, is well done. Her inability to move on, her fixation on the details of her husband's death, and the frozen 'stuck' mode she portrays are both sad,real, and humorous. Her new found relationship with this injured retriever, and a couple of people on the island are believable and heartwarming. Easy to read, makes you smile, and helps one to understand the emotional complexity one may go through in dealing with a unexpected death of a family member. I shared this book with 3 women I work with, and they all loved it also.
Helpful Score: 3
This book was not what I expected -- but I liked it anyway. I found Rocky interesting and her friend Tess REALLY interesting, and I couldn't help but love the black Lab. I was thrown when I read one of the chapters from his point of view (yes, the dog actually shares with the reader what he thinks -- a little weird for me...) Nevertheless, I was pulling for Rocky and loved the little mystery/thrill at the end. A good book -- I would have loved for it to continue for several more chapters.
Helpful Score: 3
Overall, I enjoyed this book and read it very quickly. It was a slow start for me though, and had it not involved animals, I might not have finished it. By far, the dog was my favorite character and the chapters that were written from his perspective were the most touching. It did get a bit predictable, but I think many will find it to be enjoyable--as I did.
It was a really good read. I wasn't expecting it to end up being a bit of a murder mystery. I usually don't like those so I'm glad I didn't know that was where it was headed when I started reading the book.
Helpful Score: 2
This book had me right from the get-go. It's poignant, funny, mysterious, sad, and a bit of a thriller in the end! Best of all....it made me feel good. The heroine of the book loses her husband, picks up stakes and moves away telling no-one the truth of what she's just gone through or who she really is. She "rediscovers" herself on an island in Maine as an animal control warden through the love of a motley crew of a wounded dog, a nutty cat, a woman who has special gifts with colors, and an anorexic girl who learns to eat again even if its only dogfood. There's a few twists and turns in here that you won't see coming....yet it's not sappy or formulaic. Call me crazy, but something about this book kept me up at night to finish it. It's a winner. I give it a 4 out of 5.
Helpful Score: 2
This book is excellent for people who are dog lovers and have experienced a loss through death, divorce, etc. The author's take on how dog's think and feel was very interesting. I recently went through a divorce and I found the book to be very comforting. My dog has definitely been my trusted companion.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was a wonderful surprise. I'm not sure what I expected, but was treated to a warm and engaging story about grief, loss, friendship and finding love again unexpectedly. Ms. Sheehan writes really well. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 2
A wonderful, hopeful book about a woman finding a way to survive the sudden death of her husband and a dog who helps her do it.
Helpful Score: 2
I am so glad that I decided to read this book! After reading the reviews by other readers on PBS, I almost decided not to request this book because of some negative comments. Even with some predictable results in the story, it was a fun read and I am looking forward to reading the other books written by this author. When a book grabs me enough to make me read it on the tradmill and every other moment I can find, then I have to say it was well worth the effort.
Helpful Score: 1
I was hooked into this book from the first paragraph. Having recently gone through the grief process I found this tale of how Rocky dealt with her grief very comforting. I love stories with dogs that enrich our lives and Lloyd is a wonderful support to Rocky. I think my next dog will be a chocolate Lab! There were a few slow spots, but overall I cared about this woman, her new friends, and of course Lloyd! Quick read.
Helpful Score: 1
Of course any book with an adorable lab on the cover is going to get my attention! the story is a good one, filled with colorful characters and a little bit of mystery. I could not relate to the main character, Rocky, as I found her a bit hard to understand, however the story was a good one, and i found once i picked the book up I did not want to put it down, so that is always a good sign!
Helpful Score: 1
This book is not chick lit. It is too profound and deep to be fluff. It was well worth reading, push it to the top of your TO BE READ PILE. The main character befriends an older woman who has Synesthesia. I found it interesting that as the book progressed the main character began to have a lot more sensory experiences that intermingled. I would even dare say the dog had synesthesia, as he speaks in a few chapters about what he is feeling and sensing. This book is full of so much symbolism, and really talks about real life issues of grieving the death of a loved one, trusting others, overcoming anorexia, being lost, being found, finding yourself, losing yourself.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was amazing. If you are a dog lover, you must read it. This is a very moving story about a broken woman and the dog she thinks she has saved, but who really saves her and the people around her. I read it in a few days and hated that it was over. Highly recommend!
Helpful Score: 1
A wonderful story. It is told in both human and dog vocies. Basicly there is love lost and love found by most of the charcters in the book. Well writen I really enjoyed this book. A very good read
A captivating story, if a little transparent. Ms Sheehan did an excellent job of character development I loved how she tied up all of her story lines and characters at the end. As the title suggests, it was a little depressing at the beginning, but you held out hope for the "found" part and she didn't disappoint.
An excellent read!
An excellent read!
Helpful Score: 1
Reflecting what others said. Rocky goes thru a loss with her husband and retreats from the world. Thru the power of love, she rebuilds her life not without its challenges. Loved the book. If you are a dog lover and metaphysical, this is a must read for that person.
Helpful Score: 1
GREAT READ for a Dog lover. Sheehan wrote a very believable story of a woman walking through grief and finding that life is still worth living. The relationship between Copper and Rocky demonstrates how one animal can bring so much hope to so many......LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
Helpful Score: 1
Great Sunday afternoon read.
Helpful Score: 1
I couldn't put this book down! I am a dog lover, which may be part of the reason that the plot touched me so much. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a book I will never forget!!! It pulls you in front to back!!
Helpful Score: 1
What an easy read and fun book!
Helpful Score: 1
A wonderful story on the power that animals have to heal our hearts after a loss. There were many wonderful parts to this story and I found myself reading it very quickly. I just could not put it down. I definitely recommend it.
Helpful Score: 1
After her husband's unexpected death, Rocky leaves behind her career as a psychologist to hide out for a year on a small island in Maine. While there, she takes a job as an animal control warden and cautiously makes friends with the locals. She finally opens her heart again when an black lab who has been injured under suspicious circumstances is taken into her care. When the truth about the dog's past comes out and it looks as though she will lose him, Rocky must decide whether to keep hiding or to start living again.
I thought from the cover that Lost & Found would be a cute chicklit story about a lonely woman and her dog. Instead it is a sensitively written story about grief and how animals and trusting people can help one move beyond it. Though the ending feels contrived and doesn't really jive with the rest of the book, Lost & Found is nevertheless an enjoyable read for dog lovers.
I thought from the cover that Lost & Found would be a cute chicklit story about a lonely woman and her dog. Instead it is a sensitively written story about grief and how animals and trusting people can help one move beyond it. Though the ending feels contrived and doesn't really jive with the rest of the book, Lost & Found is nevertheless an enjoyable read for dog lovers.
Helpful Score: 1
What a great read. Chick lit at it's very best. Tragedy, rebirth and redemption. A quick read that will pick up your spirits and make you want to live life to the fullest. For dog lovers and anyone who has ever lost someone they love.
Helpful Score: 1
Very enjoyable. A fun read.
Helpful Score: 1
Like many others, the picture of the Lab on the cover drew me initially to the book. I have Labs, and love them, but don't typically read books with dogs. This story grabbed me from page one--I'd stay up late, read on breaks, in waiting rooms, etc. which I don't normally do. I was sorry to see it end. Definitely worth picking up!
I tend to stay away from books where the main character is dealing with loss/grief, but I kept turning the pages of this book. There are lots of interesting people and animals and the plot moves along nicely so that I wanted to keep reading! A good book!
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely loved this book. It was a heartwarming story.
Helpful Score: 1
I love this book, it is written in short chapters, so it is easy to read a few chapters and put the book down. Wonderful story and interesting characters
Helpful Score: 1
I also got this book because of the cover. I have a black lab myself. It started out a little slow but still engaging. By the time I hit half way it was really good until the end. I loved the part where she wrote about the dog's point of view. Wish there was more of that. Great book.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is not chick lit. It is too profound and deep to be fluff. It was well worth reading, push it to the top of your TO BE READ PILE. The main character befriends an older woman who has Synesthesia. I found it interesting that as the book progressed the main character began to have a lot more sensory experiences that intermingled. I would even dare say the dog had synesthesia, as he speaks in a few chapters about what he is feeling and sensing. This book is full of so much symbolism, and really talks about real life issues of grieving the death of a loved one, trusting others, overcoming anorexia, being lost, being found, finding yourself, losing yourself.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a must read for any animal or dog lover. It's a bit different in how it begins with the sudden death of the main character's husband, but it quickly transforms into a story of loss, yes, but also a story of finding a new life, new friends, and a wonderful dog to help show our girl the love and special connection she needed. Excellent book!
Helpful Score: 1
This is one of those quiet gems that ever so rarely catches the imagination. I found the writing, the story and a story thread (which I don't want to spoil for you), original and refreshing. The story of saving a dog is really the story of the dog saving the main character. A unique story and a must read for dog lovers and those who need a little saving.
Helpful Score: 1
The author's psychology background really came through in this delightful book. It feels so true to life that she states in the end that many have asked her if it is autobiographical. It is a work of fiction however and although parts may be predictable the characters are interesting and I found myself reading it in a weekend. It is not really a story about a dog but rather about a woman who saves a dog and is in turn saved. Psychological issues of grief, bipolar disorder, anorexia nervosa and bulemia are all dealt with in a manner that only a psychologist could master.
This was a good easy read. I enjoyed it and finished it quickly!
This was a very sweet book.
Loved this book. Story takes place in Maine. Rocky is a recent widow finding out that the healing process is slow. She takes a job as a Animal Control Warden and meets an injured Lab. They begin a friendship that will be tested. I am finding out I do like stories with animals, especially dogs.
This book was not one of my favorites. I didn't like how the whole book was written in third person. I feel like it would have been more meaningful if it were written as the main character's point of view instead of narrated by a unidentified person.
I understood the relationship between Rocky and Cooper but there were some bonding moments that were just too weird for me to buy into. I knew from the very beginning that I would not love this book. I think the death of Rocky's husband was important to the novel. The desciption of his penis within the first ten pages, was not needed at all, along with other sexual encounters from the couple's marriage. It was a little "too much info" and wasn't needed in the story line.
It wasn't my kind of book, but I can see how/why others might like it. I would recommend it to anyone who has ever loved a dog like they were part of a family.
I understood the relationship between Rocky and Cooper but there were some bonding moments that were just too weird for me to buy into. I knew from the very beginning that I would not love this book. I think the death of Rocky's husband was important to the novel. The desciption of his penis within the first ten pages, was not needed at all, along with other sexual encounters from the couple's marriage. It was a little "too much info" and wasn't needed in the story line.
It wasn't my kind of book, but I can see how/why others might like it. I would recommend it to anyone who has ever loved a dog like they were part of a family.
This book was a delight. I learned a great deal about canine behavior, as well as about the need for people to "breath deeply" when they recover from tragedy and are forced to move on with their lives. I also learned a lot about archery, both as a sport and as a part of Native American culture. Best of all, unlike many animal books, the wonderful dog does not die at the end of the story.
Great book, easy to read and enjoyable..Dog lovers must read!
Not just a dog book, it's a mystery too!
I had recently read Now and Then by the same author and hoped this book would be as good. It was. I look forward to reading more of this author's books.
I loved this book. It had a little mystery, a little romance. It showed how one women dealt with her grief. For dog lovers , they will agree dogs are smart and know us humans better then we think. A nice book to sit back and enjoy.
Hated it...abysmal editing, pretentious ,self-centered main character, cardboard-y supporting cast. It was very disappointing given the stellar reviews inside the cover. I am normally a cheerleader for anything with a dog in it, but I just couldn't get wrapped around this precious yuppie and her well-funded odyssey of discovery among "real people".
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It's a heartwarming story about recovering from tragedy and loss. And I'm always a sucker for a story that involves a dog, and this did not disappoint.
I loved this book. I was glad that a dog came into the woman's life.
Great book! Wonderful story.
This is one of the best novels that I have read in a while.
What a great story. Any dog lover will appreciate this book.
Definatly held my attention; could not put it down until I was done!
Highly recommended!
What a great story. Any dog lover will appreciate this book.
Definatly held my attention; could not put it down until I was done!
Highly recommended!
A touching story about love and trust. Recommended for any dog lover.
While the basic story line was sad, and on several occasions brought tears, this is one of the best "feel good" books that I have read in years. Well written with enough detail to get to know the characters and a happy ending. Loved it!
This book was okay but nothing really great. The plot seemed to be stretched a bit thin with none of the supporting characters getting much development. I found the end to be implausible but certainly not unexpected.
I love the way she takes you through the characters life changes. It was a good heartfelt book to read.
Great book about how the love of a dog can heal and touch lives. The author even gives the dog a voice to tell his story.
I enjoyed this book and it reiterates how an animal helps those that have lost a major person in their life.
The cover drew me in. It sounded very intresting. I struggled to make it through the first 100 pages. It is very dry. If you can not connect with the main character you will not be able to get through this book. I did not care for any characters except for the dog. I did skim through the remaining book to see how it turned out. I wish I could have read it because it does sound like a good story. The writing just did not pull me in.
This ones a goodie! Of course I could be a little predjudiced, having loved and been enthusiastically loved by) Black Labradors all my life . . . But the human characters are lively and moving as well. Go for it!
From back cover: A poignant and unforgettable tale of love, loss, and moving on . . . with the help of one not-so-little dog---
Rocky's husband Bob was just forty-two when she discovered him lying cold and lifeless on the bathroom floor . . . and Rocky's world changed forever. Quitting her job, chopping off all her hair, she leaves Massachusettsreinventing her past and taking a job as Animal Control Warden on Peak's Island, a tiny speck off the coast of Maine and a million miles away from everything she's lost. She leaves her career as a psychologist behind, only to find friendship with a woman whose brain misfires in the most wonderful way and a young girl who is trying to disappear. Rocky, a quirky and fallible character, discovers the healing process to be agonizingly slow.
But then she meets Lloyd.
A large black Labrador retriever, Lloyd enters Rocky's world with a primitive arrow sticking out of his shoulder. And so begins a remarkable friendship between a wounded woman and a wounded, lovable beast. As the unraveling mystery of Lloyd's accident and missing owner leads Rocky to an archery instructor who draws her in even as she finds every reason to mistrust him, she discovers the life-altering revelation that grief can be transformed . . . and joy does exist in unexpected places.
From back cover: A poignant and unforgettable tale of love, loss, and moving on . . . with the help of one not-so-little dog---
Rocky's husband Bob was just forty-two when she discovered him lying cold and lifeless on the bathroom floor . . . and Rocky's world changed forever. Quitting her job, chopping off all her hair, she leaves Massachusettsreinventing her past and taking a job as Animal Control Warden on Peak's Island, a tiny speck off the coast of Maine and a million miles away from everything she's lost. She leaves her career as a psychologist behind, only to find friendship with a woman whose brain misfires in the most wonderful way and a young girl who is trying to disappear. Rocky, a quirky and fallible character, discovers the healing process to be agonizingly slow.
But then she meets Lloyd.
A large black Labrador retriever, Lloyd enters Rocky's world with a primitive arrow sticking out of his shoulder. And so begins a remarkable friendship between a wounded woman and a wounded, lovable beast. As the unraveling mystery of Lloyd's accident and missing owner leads Rocky to an archery instructor who draws her in even as she finds every reason to mistrust him, she discovers the life-altering revelation that grief can be transformed . . . and joy does exist in unexpected places.
Wonderful story about lost love and starting over. Dogs see people for who they really are. I too got the book for it's adoreable cover!
You know how a book shows so much promise? And you are really into it, thinking it's going to thrill you? But in the end, it's a big let down? This is it, I was really disappointed with the ending, it seems too often authors run out of steam and the ending jsut sort of fizzles. Too much was left up to speculation, nothing seemed to be resolved (except where the dog ended up) and I ended up on the last page saying to myself "Is that all there is?"
Although this book is well written, I didn't care for it. Too many descriptions of her sexual feelings about her dead husband and the subsequent men she meets. Also the chapters that were from the dog's point of view were pointless (to me anyway) and really didn't move the story along. I really had to force myself to finish the book. The thought process of the anorexic girl wasn't important to the story as there really was no resovling of many issues.
I wouldn't read the sequel to this book either.
I wouldn't read the sequel to this book either.
I liked this book alot. Very absorbing with an interesting plot and subplot lines. Anything with dogs is okay by me.
I can't get enough of stories about dogs or with dogs in them, etc. and loved this book!
Rocky's husband dies suddenly and the story is about what she does with her life to try and cope with her loss. Good Read.
Rocky's husband dies suddenly and the story is about what she does with her life to try and cope with her loss. Good Read.
A touching story of loss and recovery. Lloyd is an injured Labrador who steals the book. His influence on the people around him is,to me, the basis of the story. Rocky-the widow, Melissa-the teen-age anorexic, Hill-the archery instructor all are impacted by this large, wonderful dog.
Throw in a little mystery, a little romance and you have a very satisfying story.
Throw in a little mystery, a little romance and you have a very satisfying story.
Enjoyed it - dogs have always been sources of comfort and renewal in my life, so what's not to like? The dog on the cover looked enough like my last (not living) dog, which was what made me pick up the book in the first place.
This is a book about grief, anorexia, and bipolar disorder and the things people with those dis-eases do. It is also about how a dog can help people with any of those problems. I enjoyed the book, but I found the way the author jumped between voices of different characters somewhat disturbing. I also found the dog's "thoughts" a bit far fetched.
I was very disappointed in this book, and so was my sister. I didn't think it even got interesting until the very end.
Wonderful story about a woman and a dog she finds, coping with loss.
I found this book to be really a good read and very heartwarming. A woman who loses her husband escapes her life for a time on an island becoming an animal control warden. She find this dog and takes in in and the become the best of friends. It is a great story about healing and a great story for animal lovers. I definately recommend!
To try to move on with her life after the sudden loss of her husband, a psychologist named Rocky moves to a small island off the coast of Maine and takes a job as an Animal Control Warden. In her travels around the island, she finds an injured dog that she saves and nurses back to health. Lost & Found is a story of love, loss, and the healing process for both human and animal. I am looking forward to reading more of Sheehan's works. This book was a sleeper on my TBR shelf for a long time before I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised!
Not as good as I expected. The main character (Rocky) was a psychologist, yet her ability to understand people's behavior -- especially that of Peter, late in the book -- was severely lacking. Resolution of Melissa's situation, and more explanation for it, was also necessary. As another reviewer mentioned, several supporting characters were "cardboard-y," or rather shallowly and predictably drawn. I think with a good editor with a firm hand, someone to explain to the writer about tying up loose ends, not rushing an ending, and more thoroughly developing secondary characters, this could've been a more enjoyable read.
good book
