Boston Globe BestsellerA true story of acceptance, perseverance, and the possibility of love and redemption as evocative, charming, and powerful as the New York Times bestseller Following Atticus.Drawn by an online post, Tom Ryan adopted Will, a frightened, deaf, and mostly blind elderly dog, and brought him home to live with him and Atticus. The only owners Will ever knew had grown too fragile … The only owners Will ever knew had grown too fragile to take care of themselves, or of him. Ultimately, Will was left at a kill shelter in New Jersey.
Tom hoped to give Will a place to die with dignity, amid the rustic beauty of the White Mountains of his New Hampshire home. But when Will bites him numerous times and acts out in violent displays, Tom realizes he is in for a challenge.
With endless patience and the kind of continued empathy Tom has nurtured in his relationship with Atticus, Will eventually begins to thrive. Soon, the angry, hurt, depressed, and near-death oldster has transformed into a happy, gamboling companion with a puppy-like zest for discovery. Will perseveres for two and a half years, inspiring hundreds of thousands of Tom and Atticus’s fans with his courage, resilience, and unforgettable heart.
A story of a dog and an indelible bond that is beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting, and unforgettable, Will’s Red Coat honors the promise held in all of us, at any stage of life.
Will’s Red Coat includes eight pages of color photographs.
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This was such an inspiring book with very touching and impressive emotional and spiritual growth for a dog and a man. The author told this true story with all it’s frustrations, heartbreak and, ultimately, triumph. I couldn’t put it down. Not just a dog book. Relevant to everyone.
Anyone who loves dogs will love this book. If you don’t love dogs you might learn how wonderful they can be if given love. Will was on the list to be killed. He was old, nearly blind, deaf and had medical issues. Tom agreed to take him for what he thought would be a short amount of time. It was a very rough start but with enormous patience Will learned to trust humans and had another two and a half years of life. Many readers were inspired to adopt senior dogs because of this story.
Ok. I dont say this about a lot of books, but this one left me wanting to be a better person. I laughed, I cried, i I loved this true story.
Everyone should read this book
I loved this book! A touching story about Tom who already as a dog named Atticus. He learns about Will who is a 15 year old dog needing adoption . He takes in the old dog intending to give him a place to live the rest of his life with dignity. Will and Tom get off to a rough start as Will keeps biting Tom. Atticus doesn’t really interact with Will either. He requires a lot of care. But with care, love and understanding both Tom and Will learn about dignity, respect, and even love.
This book is wonderful. I loved it. If you love dogs, you should read it.
Any animal lover would be inspired by this man and the love he shared with Will and what was accomplished in their lives together. It is a powerful reminder of just what we are here for in the midst of so much violence and hatred and self-centeredness. Will could have been a person and the love would have accomplished so much.
This book isn’t just about a dog being rescued before being put down at a shelter, it is about his “WILL” to live despite him being blind and deaf. So many lessons to be learned about love, patience, kindness, trust and life. Tom is a hero in my eyes. He is such a caring, sensitive man, too bad there aren’t more of him in this world, we would be better off. Will, Atticus and Tom refreshed my mind about all these lessons in life. I found myself copying the many quotes that Tom uses. I couldn’t stop crying towards the end. I have taken care of so many feral and semi feral cats in my lifetime. For over 3 years I have been feeding and nursing back to health, as best I could, BOY. My husband always said he lived this long because of me. Sadly this July I believe he passed away. I HIGHLY recommend this book. Now I am thinking of purchasing it as a hard copy.
I loved this book! It was perfect for my quarantine days, it took me outside to nature and I fell head over heals in love with Will. I also have a rescue senior pup and they have a very special place in my heart.
Great Book! 5 Paws way up!
Heart warming. Sentimental. Only pet lovers would appreciate.
Great to see a man’s commitment to an abused animal.
good for “dog people”
When an abused dog learns to trust a human, it’s a beautiful thing.
I love true stories about animals who have overcome mistreatment and bad health situations and Their human partners who have given them the love and care to help them.
Love stories of animals that can help their owners. What a great Companion dog he was.
I stopped reading this book when I got to a place where I thought the author had been rude to a stranger and very arrogant. A woman, by chance, ran into the author and when she recognized him she mentioned she was a dog lover like he was. He told her he was not a fog lover, if anything, he was an elephant lover but an elephant would not fit in his apartment.
If I had been that woman I would have felt snubbed, put down, maybe even, to this author, put in my place. How sad. Yes, he was wonderful to take in the second dog that was deaf snd almost blind but I shouldn’t think that gave him license to be rude.
Even the way he “trained”’his dogs smacked of arrogance. I am sure Will, his dog that had no disabilities, was quite good about not wandering off when he was not leashed, but, towns have leash laws. And he might ponder this. Sometimes having a dog leashed makes a human feel safer. Some humans are afraid of dogs even small ones, for whatever reason.
I LOVE dogs! I have two small dogs at the moment. One is a rescue. We have had three prior to these two. A lab while our kids were growing up and then Two small dogs that are no longer with us. One of our dogs now has her own cardiologist and is on five medications. She’s doing great! That’s because we love her and take care of her. But I like to see dogs leashed. Prior to these two my other two were attacked by larger dogs while we were out walking quietly minding our own business. Their owners thought they were good, friendly dogs. They probably were, most of the time. But dogs are animals. Maybe my small dogs set off some ancient instinct or something. Also, as a child I was attacked by a dog that was not leashed. I was five years old and it left me with a fear of strange dogs. Luckily, I have overcome most of that fear but only if they are leashed so I can get to know them. So, I believe the author is a bit of an arrogant braggart when he says Will doesn’t need a leash. So, I had to stop reading the book! I took a huge dislike to this author, though I did totally appreciate the fact that he took this older,?needy dog in to take care of. We did the same. Ours has only a few teeth and Addison’s disease.
Anyway, I can’t review the whole book due to the fact that I didn’t finish it. I was sorry not to be able to but honestly I have given myself permission to stop reading books I don’t like (I used to make myself finish any book I ever started-no more, life’s too short and there are too many books that need reading!).
I bought this book as the quarantine anxiety was building. When I would wake in the middle of the night, I would grab this book and escape. It’s been at least 3 weeks, and I’m still thinking about this generous deed and the joy it generated. Tears of joy are building as I type.
If you have ever loved a rescued animal, this book will resonate with your soul. If you have never lived with a rescued pet, this book will convince you to adopt one.
If you are a dog lover, you will love this book. In addition to being entertaining, the author’s descriptors of the place he lives and took his dogs hiking were amazing. I felt as if I were there (or wanted to be).
It shared a great connection of heart, nature, and individuality in its writing. I enjoyed it!