Weekends with Daisy

Still mourning the loss of her family dog, mother and journalist Sharron Luttrell signs up for a weekend puppy-raising program. There's just one catch: on weekdays, the dog – a Labrador pup named Daisy – is being trained by a prisoner. Keith is a seemingly friendly inmate serving a 40-year sentence, but when Sharron discovers the shocking crime that he committed at age 17, she is completely shaken. How can she continue to work with him, knowing what he did? Ultimately, she looks to Daisy to pull her through. Mindful of how much the pup has taught her and her family in a short time, she can see that this special dog has helped Keith learn empathy and face the consequence of his actions. As the two of them work tirelessly to ensure that Daisy passes her final test to become a service dog, Sharron tests the limits of her own strength, compassion, and capacity for love. This is an emotional and uplifting memoir. 'A deceptively simple but powerful account of family bonds, friendship and the special relationship we share with dogs.' Kirkus Reviews 'The author's empathy is impressive given her own troubled past; she relates those struggles, as well as her rocky relationship with her teenage daughter, with candor that will win over readers generally left cold by animal books.' Publishers Weekly