Running with Roselle: How a Blind Boy and a Puppy Grew Up, Became Best Friends, and Together Survived One of America’s Darkest Days is a follow-up novel by authors Michael Hingson and Jeanette Hanscome, Thunder Dog.
Running with Roselle fills in the gaps of Roselle’s upbringing and combines her story with Mike’s as he grows up and experiences life with his first guide dog.
This is how the story begins: New York. September 11th, 2001. Mike and Roselle are in the first tower when it is struck. That’s all we know.
Hingson and Hanscome then transition back in time to when Roselle was a pup. Immediately you get the sense of just how rambunctious Roselle was. A precocious ball of yellow fur, playing with her friends at puppy school. You’d think that training hasn’t begun yet, but for these puppies, training starts almost immediately. She already knows basic commands and when she makes a mistake—licking a little boy’s hand because it smells like ham—and gets corrected, she immediately stops. It’s truly amazing how quickly she reacts to the reprimand that she has done something that she shouldn’t.
While you can’t say you know exactly what is going on in a dog’s mind, it is fun to deduce by watching their faces, eyes, and body posture. Roselle is a fast learner and quick to respond, however, there are some moments in this book where she is allowed to slide with a few instances of misbehavior. A prime example would be the “stealing” of her puppy raiser’s slippers. That particular activity or prank is something that Roselle seemed prone to do quite frequently.
As stated above, this story focuses not just on Roselle, but also Mike. For those who have read Thunder Dog, some of the information will sound familiar, but you get more detail in this book as the chapters alternate between Roselle and Mike—following their lives as they move through them.
Roselle continues with her training. The authors detail the ins and outs of a guide dog’s training and the potential pitfalls that will see them eliminated from the program. It is quite fascinating and informative. Roselle never stays with just one family during her training. She goes with one family for a year, and then returns to the center for further training as she moves along in the program.
There is more attention to detail in Roselle’s story in comparison to Mike’s. That does not mean, however, that there is less information. In this book, where certain scenes were skimmed over in Thunder Dog, the authors go more into detail. One particular scene that sticks out is when Mike was in his art class. It’s disappointing to know how his classmates and even his teacher treated him. All he asked for was some guidance for an assigned task. Mike shows a lot of resilience and strength in that one moment by not allowing it get to him. Or, if it did impact him, he doesn’t reflect back on that moment in a negative light.
This book is the perfect novel for young readers. The writing style is easy to understand and follow. You will enjoy how Mike details his exploits as a young child and how his parents gave him the strength to become who he is today. They never coddled him or told him he couldn’t do something. They constantly encouraged him to try new things and to keep pushing forward. This message is carried throughout the story. From Mike’s first accident in his pedal car to getting a shock of a lifetime (literally) and learning how to work with electrical wires.
In Running with Roselle, the authors detail Mike’s life, especially at school. Despite his fascination with math and sciences, he struggled with them the most due to them being visual studies. Mike’s reactions to some of the situations he must endure are understandable. Throughout his schooling, it’s apparent that some of his teachers are uncomfortable helping him along with his studies. Thankfully some take the time to help him succeed in his work. It is unfortunate that some do not, and only do the bare minimum.
The amount of detail in this book, especially when showing Roselle’s various experiences is phenomenal. There will be moments where you’ll think they must have interviewed a couple of dogs. You get the sights and smells, and can just about imagine the temptations Roselle dealt with on a daily basis. And, if you’re looking for humor, this book has that too. Apparently, Roselle snores quite a bit, and noisily at that.
While it take a while for Mike and Roselle to meet, when the pieces come together, excitement builds. You’ll recognize a certain person’s name as you read, and when you see it again in association with Mike, it will all connect together.
One disappointing aspect is that there isn’t much about Mike’s other guide dogs. Before he acquires Roselle, he has five other dogs. In Thunder Dog, they are mentioned in passing, and this book does the same thing. There are a few scenes with Squire, his first dog, but that’s it. It would have been nice to have gotten to know his previous dogs as well.
As the book draws to a close, familiar scenes unfold for readers who’ve read Thunder Dog. This time though, you get both perspectives—Roselle’s and Mike’s—as they live through those harrowing hours in the tower. The chapters continue to alternate between the two, but with more detail. Roselle’s chapters reflect what she must have been thinking and the stress she was under during the entire situation. The authors slip into a dog’s psyche flawlessly and bring Roselle’s thoughts and emotions to life.
From beginning to end, Hingson and Hanscome detail the lives of Roselle and Mike as they grow throughout the years. They are unknowingly preparing to be each other’s rock for a harrowing moment neither will forget. Through empathy, love, and dedication, the authors illustrate how Roselle’s training helped prepare her for a situation no one could have prepared for.
Pros:
- Running with Roselle fills in the gaps in Mike’s and Roselle’s story from Thunder Dogs.
- The attention to detail is well done.
- The pacing of the story is good and keeps you engaged.
- It feels like you’re able to get into Roselle’s mind.
- The book is highly informative concerning Roselle’s training without becoming dull.
Cons:
- Disappointing that Mike’s other guide dogs only receive passing mentions.
Scribble's Worth 