Coming April 30th
Dr. Kate Blunt will do anything for her son, Jasper. Well, almost anything. Since Jasper has the incurable lung disease cystic fibrosis, Kate’s always told him he couldn’t get a dog, It’s a tough call, but she’s a single mom taking care of a kid who has to fight for every breath he takes. The daily medical routine that keeps Jasper alive is complicated enough without adding a mutt to the mix. Worse still, as the veterinarian in charge of a Cape Cod animal shelter, Kate’s life is wall-to-wall mutts in constant need of forever homes.
Kate must live with the fact that every abandoned dog is on a two-week deadline to find a human – and the scarred, mistreated wreck that turns up doesn’t stand a chance. Named Whistler, he’s too old, too ugly. But the dog forms an instantaneous, almost magical connection with Jasper. The dog never makes a sound, let alone a bark, yet he speaks to Jasper in a myriad of mysterious ways, forging an indelible bond with the boy. The clock’s ticking, the dog’s future hangs in the balance, and Jasper would do anything to find him a home; but Whistler has chosen them -- for a reason.
And what Whistler inspires in Kate and Jasper may be his most important lesson of all.
PRESS
“Suspenseful, heart-wrenching, and life-affirming, this riveting book is at once great fiction and vividly, urgently true. In alternating voices--that of a desperately ill little boy and his anxious single mother--The Wonder of Lost Causes reveals the authentic miracles that are possible with a dog's love. Science has only begun to revealed the powers of animals; the heart can see deeper yet. These pages open us to those wonders, and teach us that no cause is truly lost.”
--Sy Montgomery, New York Times Bestselling author of How to Be a Good Creature
“Nick Trout’s THE WONDER OF LOST CAUSES is not only a dog story, but a tale of the bonds that form between peoples of all walks of life, often shared and made stronger by a four-legged furry intruder into their lives. Here is a story worth telling and written with a true authenticity. The dog Whistler will not only tug at your heartstrings, but he'll grab hold like a terrier on a chew toy—and by the end, you’ll walk away changed for having met him. If you cried at the end of Marley and Me, if you appreciated A Dog’s Purpose, you’ll love the wonders found within the pages of this heartwarming story.”
--James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of Crucible
Since the publication of my first book, Tell Me Where It Hurts, I have tried to discover and document what it means to share our lives with the special creatures we think of as companion animals. I’m blessed to work full time as a veterinary surgeon in Boston, a profession where material for such heart-warming stories quite literally walk, hop and slither through our hospital doors every day. Yet, over the last decade of writing books, and in the spirit of write what you know, I have always had a specific story inside me, not least because it is so personal.
My daughter, Emily, was born with Cystic fibrosis, CF, the number one genetic killer of children and young adults in the US. Now twenty-five and listed for double lung transplant, Emily remains a brave and remarkable young woman, but for all that she has given me as a proud parent, it is her fierce determination to live in the moment, to make the best of what you have, to live in the now. In essence, her philosophy is the same as the dogs I know and love, the dogs that refuse to get down, are never self-absorbed, and never have a bad hair day. These are the dogs that want to smile and run and take every bite they can out of life, because dogs, unlike people, have learned to live their lives without regret.
This certainty has formed the basis for my latest book, The Wonder of Lost Causes, a novel about a boy with CF and his struggling single mom, a woman lost and frightened, unable to find a path in life until an unadoptable mutt discovers them and offers a fantastic way forward.
I truly hope you enjoy it.
Nick
“The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a story that reminds us of the truth that is hidden away in our hearts: loving our animals is a sure way to heal our souls.” –Garth Stein, author of the New York Times bestseller, The Art of Racing in the Rain
About Nick
Nick Trout graduated from veterinary school at the University of Cambridge in 1989. He is a Diplomate of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons and, for the past twenty-years (wow, time really does fly), he’s been a staff surgeon at the prestigious Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. He is the author of three non-fiction books, the New York Times bestseller, Tell Me Where It Hurts, Love is the Best Medicine, and Ever By My Side. His first two novels, The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs and Dog Gone, Back Soon were Boston Globe bestsellers. His latest, stand-alone novel is The Wonder of Lost Causes (Harper Collins, April 30th, 2019). Nick’s writing has been translated into sixteen languages and his books sell in more than thirty different countries around the world. He considers himself a runner (though his marathon days are behind him), an avid reader, and a passionate advocate for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Kathy, and their adopted Labradoodle, Thai.
Stay
Connected
Sign up for my monthly newsletter and you'll be entered into my monthly giveaway
