Will's Red Coat - Large Print by Tom Ryan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Boston Globe Bestseller

A 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 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.

From the Back Cover

Drawn by a fateful online post, Tom Ryan, with the help of his canine hiking partner, Atticus M. Finch, adopts Will, an elderly, deaf, and nearly blind soul who is filled with anger and pain. Tom hopes to give Will a place to die with dignity surrounded by the natural beauty of New Hampshire's White Mountains. But when he witnesses Will's fear and lack of trust, Tom realizes that his task entails so much more. With endless patience and the same meditative empathy Tom has nurtured in his relationship with Atticus, Will eventually begins to thrive, transforming into a happy, frolicking companion with a puppy-like zest for discovery and inspiring hundreds of thousands of people with his courage, resilience, and renewed heart. Will's Red Coat is a real-life fairy tale of promises kept and a life-changing, inviolable bond between friends. Heartbreaking, uplifting, and ultimately unforgettable, it honors the possibility held in all of us, at any stage of life.

Review Quotes

Praise for Following Atticus: "Animals come into our lives prepared to teach, if only those of us on the human side of the bond would be humble enough to learn. Tom Ryan has obviously been paying close attention as he generously shares the wisdom and humanity of his remarkable dog, taking us on a noble quest. Atticus M. Finch is the four-legged mentor all dog lovers will crave." - Dr. Nick Trout, author of Tell Me Where It Hurts

"Exceptionally evocative writing and [an] engaging story...this is a book that can be read more than once. Inspirational and heart-warming." - Library Journal

"Heartwarming, surprisingly suspenseful.... Part adventure story, part memoir, but most important, a love story...[an] entertaining and joyous book." - Publishers Weekly

"How can you go wrong with a cute little dog who braved the White Mountains' highest peaks time and again...over the ice, snow and sometimes deadly uncertainty of wild winter altitude in New Hampshire? Far more than just a typical man-and-his-dog account...Ryan and Atticus have delivered on all counts." - Manchester Union Leader

"Need your faith in humanity restored? Read this book. It's lovely to learn about our higher selves from an unlikely source like Atticus M. Finch." - The Day (Connecticut)

"Couples in which both parties are human could take a lesson in loving from Tom Ryan's relationship with Will, his schnauzer." - Improper Bostonian