Welcome back readers, to this month’s book club! And what a treat we have in store…​

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Good Boy by Michelle Wright is an absorbing and heart-melting story of the emotional bond between one man and a dog who leads him to a path of self-discovery, love and redemption.   

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Cookie is an inmate and talented jewelry artist coming to the end of a 25-year sentence in a minimum-security prison and mentally preparing for the new reality awaiting him outside. Encouraged to participate in a rehabilitation program for abandoned dogs, Cookie is paired with Nigel, an abused and disobedient dog he knows deserves a second chance.

Christening him with the new name Good Boy for some daily affirmation (a natural life coach), Cookie tames his new pal’s uncontrollable anxiety with small doses of valium secreted in pink marshmallows (sign ME up for some of that).

Despite his best efforts, Cookie doubts Good Boy will pass the final test determining whether he is fit for adoption and makes the incredibly hard choice of risking his future freedom for the life of another.

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What follows is a perilous and exhausting journey to his small hometown of Ballyup where Cookie is forced to confront the sins and ghosts of his past to ask for forgiveness and compassion to ensure Good Boy’s protection.

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Michelle Wright showcases her writing expertise in the wholly empathetic character of Cookie, a well-intentioned and generous soul from an early age, and how he is reflected in Good Boy; a fellow survivor of negligence and brutality, let down by the system.

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Their growing bond demonstrates not only the power of self-acceptance but also a representation of the shared love between a person and their pet, and the lengths and costs (oh boy, the costs) we will go to for their comfort and survival.

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The unexpected twists and turns of this glorious novel culminate in a soaring finale that made Good Boy resound with me in a way that I won’t soon forget.

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An exceptional, deeply moving tale for dog and cat-lovers, birders, fish people, reptile enthusiasts and everyone in-between.

 

5 out of 5 beef bones.

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Em’s Book Bingo Card (annoyingly specific, but so am I)

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• Many doggo’s (obviously)

• A travelling independent circus – the most interesting first job you can get

• A life-changing teacher who is not above ransacking a lunchbox or two (that’s a valuable lesson in itself)

• Monsters meeting their come-uppance

• Second chances – for all walks of life

• Twists!

• Iconic self-made landmarks – one man’s failed Big Cucumber is another man’s UFO exhibit.

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SIMILAR TITLES

 

Fine by Michelle Wright

A brilliant debut of originality, depth and beauty.

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One Hundred Years of Betty by Debra Oswald

One ordinary extraordinary woman living through a century of massive change, from the bestselling author of The Family Doctor.

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Why Do Horses Run? by Cameron Stewart

A lyrical and profound debut novel that celebrates the kindness of strangers and those living in pain who recognise that in others.

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The Unearthed by Lenny Bartulin

When human remains are discovered in the wilds of the Tasmanian west coast, the dark past comes into the light of the present in this deeply moving novel from the author of Fortune.