I have just finished reading Thunder Dog, a true story of a  blind man, his guide dog, and their escape from the 78th floor of the Twin Towers the day the terrorist struck, commonly known world-wide as 9-11.

Michael Hingson shares his and Roselle's, his guide dog, experiences  and impressions as they traveled down 78 stories of steps. Trapped in a stairwell with hundreds of others, Michael tells of the questions, fears, and comradeship of those fleeing the deathtrap of the mortally wounded building.

Woven into the story is information concerning the challenges of being blind in a sight oriented world. The author relates how he and others have overcome, or circumvented those obstacles and succeeded in careers alongside their sighted peers.

For those of you who remember Dr. James Robertson, the political science teacher at NTCC, you will see the similarity between the two men.

Toward the end of the book, Michael Hingson relates an event at an airport. People in line insisted on helping him go to the front of the line.  He was just as insistent that he would stand in line with everyone else, that he didn't need any special treatment.  He then went on to say he was waiting for the day when he needed to cut in line and someone said. "Hey. Who made you king?" At that point he would know that he was accepted as an equal member of society neither needing nor wanting special privileges.

This is a marvelous, inspiring book for any age group.

The First Miracle
By L.A. Willis

In The First Miracle, Ms. Willis’s main character is Abigail, a blind cat. The author does a touching job of conveying Abigail’s longing for her rescuer and friend’s caressing touch and raspy voice. But Rebekah has died and Abigail races blindly through crowded streets bumping into people, walls, and cart wheels. The reader can feel her pain and panic. Finding refuge in a barn, Abigail snuggles down into some soft hay to rest. A sound awakens her and she investigates. A baby has been born during the night; Abigail can smell it. That’s when the miracle happens.

Willow Raven’s art work on both the cover and inside pages matches the story in perfect harmony. While this novel is fiction, it might have happened just as L.A. Willis created it. I’ll be passing this gem of a story on to our granddaughter in a year or so.

The First Miracle is told in sixteen pages of narrative interspersed with small and large colored pictures. Children three to seven or eight years of age will love this story and request it to be read over and over. Readers will enjoy both the story and the captivating art work.

The First Miracle published by 4RVPublishing
ISBN 978-0-9825886-0-4