Adventures of a Dog Man: Finding Fidelity
by Gordon Garrett
Stratton Press


"He discovered, in time, that those who trust no one are usually not to be trusted themselves."

Grew Tuckett was born blind in one eye and therefore forbidden to play childhood sports. His handicap does not lessen his passion for dogs. He spends his adult life breeding, training, grooming, and showing German Shepherds. Nor does his condition prevent him from enjoying female company. He marries twice, losing his first wife to breast cancer and his second to divorce. He has 19 long-term affairs and plenty of casual sex with nameless women between relationships. Not at all to his surprise, but often to his fury, some of these women also cheat on him, ruining his trust. There are only two constants in Grew's life: his adopted son, born of his first wife's infidelity, and his unfulfillable quest to find the perfect woman. That woman is Chloe, subject of a song to which Grew owns the sheet music. Will Grew ever find a real-life "Chloe" of his own?

Notably, this book's protagonist is a person of disability, who unselfishly assumes the unenviable responsibility of raising another man's child. He is also a person with a propensity to rape his partners, believing that women who ask him to stop do not mean what they say, or that they secretly desire forcible encounters. Accounts of rapes perpetrated by others titillate rather than horrify him. In his preface, the author admits that frequent sex scenes throughout the book might offend some readers but does not warn that some of these acts are not consensual. The novel may appeal to those who entertain vivid sexual fantasies. Readers who enjoy traveling may be able to relate to Grew's restlessness, especially if they are Canadian, love Canada, or have never visited there but wish to. The book may also gain readership among those interested in dog breeding, dog shows, and training circles.

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