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Hugo's experiences with her therapy dog, Hannah, and the elderly patients she visits

Table of Contents

Author's Note1. First, Everybody Leaves You2. A Velvet Anger3. One Dear Voice4. Regret5. We All Fall Down6. Power7. Whatever It Takes8. Working (in) the System9. Huntin' Home10. The Eden Effect11. Interim Report12. At Their Mercy13. Life Goes On14. The Root of Evil15. Hannah at Home16. HopeEpilogueAcknowledgments

About the Author

Lynne Hugo is the author of two poetry collections, a children’s book, and four novels, including The Unspoken Years, Graceland, and Last Rights.

Reviews

"Beautiful in its use of language and unsettling in its observations, this story was the worthy recipient of the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. Recommended not only for dog lovers interested in learning more about the training and accomplishments of a therapy dog but also for nurses, social workers, gerontologists, and anyone facing the prospect of long-term care for aging parents."—Library Journal

"This is a must-read for anyone interested in therapy dogs, the plight of nursing home residents, growing old and the basic human need to nurture and be nurtured."—Mike Nobles, Tulsa World

“Where the Trail Grows Faint is not just a book about a woman and her therapy dog, but a story of life, death, hope and the joy and comfort that animals can bring.”—Mary Howard, CC: Connecticut College Magazine

“A profound and heartfelt book. . . . Hugo is a tender and wise guide to the realities of aging, and Hannah, her chocolate Labrador retriever, who brings love and life to residents of a Midwest nursing home, is a true charmer. Where the Trail Grows Faint charts the territory with a rare spirit of hope.”—Floyd Skloot, author of In the Shadow of Memory

“Hugo describes a kind of magic—magic that brings the joy of living back into the lives of elders living in nursing homes. Read her book and learn the secret.”—William H. Thomas, MD, author of What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World

“Lynne Hugo has penned a story that truly touches my soul. Her poignant descriptions of life confined within the walls of a nursing home provide an accurate and unsettling picture of existence for many, many people in our nation—those who work and those who live in these institutions.”—Sandy Ransom, RN, MSHP, Director, Texas Long Term Care Institute, Texas State University–San Marcos

http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2013/12/the-marketeers-club-canine-literature.html

"Beautiful in its use of language and unsettling in its observations, this story was the worthy recipient of the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize. Recommended not only for dog lovers interested in learning more about the training and accomplishments of a therapy dog but also for nurses, social workers, gerontologists, and anyone facing the prospect of long-term care for aging parents."-Library Journal
"This is a must-read for anyone interested in therapy dogs, the plight of nursing home residents, growing old and the basic human need to nurture and be nurtured."-Mike Nobles, Tulsa World
"Where the Trail Grows Faint is not just a book about a woman and her therapy dog, but a story of life, death, hope and the joy and comfort that animals can bring."-Mary Howard, CC: Connecticut College Magazine
"A profound and heartfelt book. . . . Hugo is a tender and wise guide to the realities of aging, and Hannah, her chocolate Labrador retriever, who brings love and life to residents of a Midwest nursing home, is a true charmer. Where the Trail Grows Faint charts the territory with a rare spirit of hope."-Floyd Skloot, author of In the Shadow of Memory
"Hugo describes a kind of magic-magic that brings the joy of living back into the lives of elders living in nursing homes. Read her book and learn the secret."-William H. Thomas, MD, author of What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World
"Lynne Hugo has penned a story that truly touches my soul. Her poignant descriptions of life confined within the walls of a nursing home provide an accurate and unsettling picture of existence for many, many people in our nation-those who work and those who live in these institutions."-Sandy Ransom, RN, MSHP, Director, Texas Long Term Care Institute, Texas State University-San Marcos
http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2013/12/the-marketeers-club-canine-literature.html

Adult/High School-Ostensibly a book about therapy dogs, this thoughtful work also looks at the shortcomings of nursing-home life. Dog lovers will enjoy the antics of Hugo's chocolate Lab, who is a great icebreaker at a home, and will learn that dogs needn't be perfectly behaved to be good in their role (far from it, in this case). Readers also learn that residents too often can be neglected by family, even those who live nearby, and that the effects of this neglect are huge in already severely circumscribed lives. Teens volunteering, or contemplating it, at nursing homes and hospitals, as well as social-studies students, will get a great deal out of this sympathetic volume and will be much more understanding and able to help residents/patients in practical but small ways. A fine and sensitive book.-Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.