The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People
- Downloads：2713
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-22 05:21:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Rick Bragg
- ISBN：B08TRQWPVX
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Speckled Beauty is a beautifully written memoir by Rick Bragg of his life in the aftermath of a lymphoma diagnosis and the life changing entry of a badly behaved injured dog into his life。 Released 21st Sept 2021 by Knopf Doubleday， it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 The Speckled Beauty is a beautifully written memoir by Rick Bragg of his life in the aftermath of a lymphoma diagnosis and the life changing entry of a badly behaved injured dog into his life。 Released 21st Sept 2021 by Knopf Doubleday， it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout。 I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately。 This is a touchingly honest and really engaging memoir about a guy and his dog。 Life isn't always perfect but it can be wonderful despite everything。 Speck isn't a perfect dog （far from it， he pees on flowers， goes where he shouldn't， destroys things with wild abandon， drags revoltingly smelly deceased wildlife onto the porch， rolls in poop， makes messes， and howls at all hours）。 He and Bragg found one another and managed to redeem one another in profound ways。 Throughout the reminiscences and funny stories， the lyrical prose is shining and lush。 This is a gorgeously written book full of beautifully turned phrases。 Definitely a solid pick for library acquisition and fans of memoir。 This would also be a great choice for readers who love rescue stories and pet memoirs。 This is a book readers will want to revisit。Five stars。Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Jean
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Rick Bragg never， ever disappoints。 And he always manages to make me laugh。 THE SPECKLED BEAUTY is not exception！ Not just a book about a dog。 Rick brings his mama and his brother into this funny and very moving story。 This is a story of a man with a big heart who's not afraid to let it show。 Southern writing that will bring you to tears one moment， then rip your head off with laughter the next。 Rick Bragg never， ever disappoints。 And he always manages to make me laugh。 THE SPECKLED BEAUTY is not exception！ Not just a book about a dog。 Rick brings his mama and his brother into this funny and very moving story。 This is a story of a man with a big heart who's not afraid to let it show。 Southern writing that will bring you to tears one moment， then rip your head off with laughter the next。 。。。more
Barbara Burd
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What happens when a man， beaten down by cancer and other illnesses， finds a bad dog--blind， two ravaged ears， so stupid he tries to herd a mule that kicks him across the yard， and that just can't be tamed of his wild spirit？ Rick Bragg has written a wonderful story of the relationship between his family and this bad dog whose joy of living is contagious。 Bragg provides a glimpse of life in rural Alabama， where dogs run wild and survival is based on fitness and fighting。 Yet， Speck survives and t What happens when a man， beaten down by cancer and other illnesses， finds a bad dog--blind， two ravaged ears， so stupid he tries to herd a mule that kicks him across the yard， and that just can't be tamed of his wild spirit？ Rick Bragg has written a wonderful story of the relationship between his family and this bad dog whose joy of living is contagious。 Bragg provides a glimpse of life in rural Alabama， where dogs run wild and survival is based on fitness and fighting。 Yet， Speck survives and thrives in this environment even as he befriends Bragg and becomes the families' comforter in times of trouble。You'll laugh at Speck's antics and cry over his trials。 But mostly， you'll be amazed and heartened as Speck becomes part of this family and provides the love and affection that only a dog can give。Highly recommended for all animal lovers。 A delightful， heartwarming， and soul heartening story。 。。。more
Karen M
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If ever a book was meant for me to read， well， this certainly was it。 My own life was ruled by a loving Shetland Sheepdog who never believed for one moment that she was not a human just like the rest of her family。This lovely book is about Speck and his family。 Speck was a stray who came into the lives of Rick Bragg and his family。 Sometimes there is just something about a dog that makes them special to you but maybe not so much to everyone else and yet， in time， they do become special to everyo If ever a book was meant for me to read， well， this certainly was it。 My own life was ruled by a loving Shetland Sheepdog who never believed for one moment that she was not a human just like the rest of her family。This lovely book is about Speck and his family。 Speck was a stray who came into the lives of Rick Bragg and his family。 Sometimes there is just something about a dog that makes them special to you but maybe not so much to everyone else and yet， in time， they do become special to everyone who they welcome into their family。 That dog is Speck。Wild and free and forget obedient， Speck is the self-appointed protector of their small farm where Rick and his Mother live。 Speck chases wild creatures and domestic pets as well。 Cats quickly learn to head for the trees and the mule and donkeys chase around the corral and attempt to kick Speck clean off the farm。 He has no manners。 He will eat the cat food， the food for the other two dogs and even the mule’s food and then will roll in anything no matter how smelly but when Rick sits on the steps or walks down the drive， who is right there next to him， Speck。This beautifully written chapter in Rick Bragg’s life is just such a pleasure to read and enjoy。 I laughed out loud so many times I’m sure my condo neighbors assumed I had company。 Here and there a tear welled but then Rick would relate another story about Speck and I’d be smiling again。 This book is not just about Speck but about Rick Bragg’s Mother and brother， Sam and Rick and Skinny and Puppy， their other two dogs。 This book is about a family。I won this ARC in a First Reads giveaway。 Thank you to Alfred A。 Knopf， Penguin Random House， LLC and the author Rick Bragg （and his family too）。 。。。more
Natalie
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Speck is a stray dog who is accustomed to living in the wild with other dogs， but unlike most of those other dogs Speck is rescued by a family who loves him despite his rambunctiousness。 The author makes his Southern home come alive with all its beauty and eccentricities。 While the author struggles with health challenges， his love for Speck shines through。 As someone who believes dogs should live indoors， I sometimes found myself struggling with the hard life Speck had endured and that he never Speck is a stray dog who is accustomed to living in the wild with other dogs， but unlike most of those other dogs Speck is rescued by a family who loves him despite his rambunctiousness。 The author makes his Southern home come alive with all its beauty and eccentricities。 While the author struggles with health challenges， his love for Speck shines through。 As someone who believes dogs should live indoors， I sometimes found myself struggling with the hard life Speck had endured and that he never became an indoor companion。 I worried that he would be killed on a number of occasions in the book。 Nevertheless， he was taken to the vet and clearly loved by the author and his family。I enjoyed reading about Speck's growth and particularly how his relationship with the donkeys changed over time。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a galley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Becca
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I am a big Rick Bragg fan， and this book is a perfect example of why。 He takes a book about a dog and uses it as a framework to write about family， growing older， and life in the South。 The dog， Speck， is a trouble maker and a nuisance to just about every creature he comes in contact with。 But， even as Bragg writes about all the ways Speck has almost gotten him killed or been a bother to him， his affection for his four-legged friend is easy to see。 Forgive me for saying so， but I’m not really an I am a big Rick Bragg fan， and this book is a perfect example of why。 He takes a book about a dog and uses it as a framework to write about family， growing older， and life in the South。 The dog， Speck， is a trouble maker and a nuisance to just about every creature he comes in contact with。 But， even as Bragg writes about all the ways Speck has almost gotten him killed or been a bother to him， his affection for his four-legged friend is easy to see。 Forgive me for saying so， but I’m not really an animal person， so I wasn’t sure if I would like this as much as some of Bragg’s previous works。 But as he wrote about his family， and particularly his brother Sam， his simple yet beautiful prose won me over yet again。 The misadventures with the dog will bring laughter， but what those tales bring out in the humans around him will warm your heart。 If you’re already a dog lover， you will find much to love about this book。 But even if you’re not， you might be surprised how much humanity can be found in a book about a dog。 Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for the advanced review copy。 All opinions are my own。 The Speckled Beauty releases on September 21， 2021。 。。。more
Mary Robideaux
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Rick Bragg comes through again with his unique and wonderful writing style and storytelling。 Just read it。
Diane S ☔
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Sometimes it takes a dog。 Not any particular kind of dog， but a dog that we find， or one that finds us， when one is desperately needed。 For Rick Bragg， this was a wild dog， a not well behaved dog， half starved， with injuries and wounds from his rough life。 A dog who causes havoc， will not mind， who wants a soft place to land， but not to be owned。 A dog who follows his eighty year old mom around the kitchen， waiting for food， a biscuit， a woman who will give this unruly dog the name， Speckled Bea Sometimes it takes a dog。 Not any particular kind of dog， but a dog that we find， or one that finds us， when one is desperately needed。 For Rick Bragg， this was a wild dog， a not well behaved dog， half starved， with injuries and wounds from his rough life。 A dog who causes havoc， will not mind， who wants a soft place to land， but not to be owned。 A dog who follows his eighty year old mom around the kitchen， waiting for food， a biscuit， a woman who will give this unruly dog the name， Speckled Beauty。 Shortened to Speck。Bragg returns to live with his mother on her small farm， in remission from his cancer and other health issues。 This dog will enter his life， providing both a distraction and a meaning to his days。 Bragg is a national treasure。 His writing， personal， combining so much humor with the sadness that is life at times。 His writing always gives me with all the feels， and this book often made me laugh at loud。 This dog。。。。。。。。。。。For everyone who has had a pet that made a difference in their lives， this book is for you。 I found it simply wonderful。ARC from Edelweiss。 。。。more
Cheri
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’Who wants a perfect dog？' -- Willie MorrisAs this fourth of Bragg’s memoirs of his family begins， Bragg is back in the county where his mother lives， after several health issues have plagued him - non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma， pneumonia， heart and kidney failure - he finds himself living in his mother’s basement at the age of sixty。 Driving down her quarter mile long， winding driveway which is a tunnel of green， the pines， pasture， and then the deer， hummingbirds and wild turkey create a dreamlike sc ’Who wants a perfect dog？' -- Willie MorrisAs this fourth of Bragg’s memoirs of his family begins， Bragg is back in the county where his mother lives， after several health issues have plagued him - non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma， pneumonia， heart and kidney failure - he finds himself living in his mother’s basement at the age of sixty。 Driving down her quarter mile long， winding driveway which is a tunnel of green， the pines， pasture， and then the deer， hummingbirds and wild turkey create a dreamlike scene that could almost lull you into believing the world was always so peaceful。 And then， the moment is broken when he， a half-blind， 76-pound illegitimate Australian shepherd dog of unknown origin with mismatched eyes who is prone to falling asleep in his dog bowl， rushes in to shatter the idyllic moment。 The Speckled Beauty is about this untrained and unruly abandoned dog， who enters his life unexpectedly， and seems to greet Bragg anew every day， as though he can’t believe his good luck in finding him again。 A human that is kind and willing to feed and care for him。 In return， Speck will come to offer him not only sweetly comedic moments - his unbridled joy chasing creatures on his mother’s land， to the irrepressible joy of inhaling Bragg’s mother’s biscuits that she tosses his way - and unconditional love， as well。 The rescuer is rescued in return by the unquestioning love he receives， in spite of his initial reservations。There’s more to this story， of course， COVID is a background theme， how it has impacted this part of the country， along with health concerns for both Speck and his other family members。 This is a memoir set in a time of upheaval and isolation， but it is also a story of love， a love of home and family， a love for this dog who， despite the hardships he’s endured prior to entering their lives， loves with abandon。 The lessons Speck teaches them all， and the unbridled joy he shares will become a part of them， as well。Pub Date: 21 Sep 2021Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House / Knopf 。。。more
Kelly Long
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。I'm an advocate for rescue dogs so this book was instantly appealing to me。 Speck is a funny， mischievous， "bad" dog who chose Rick Bragg as his human and in turn， rescued Bragg as well。 Speck is definitely a wild child and gets into a lot of spats， had been through unimaginable events unknown to anyone but him， and somehow survived it all。I highly recommend this book to animal lovers and especially Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。I'm an advocate for rescue dogs so this book was instantly appealing to me。 Speck is a funny， mischievous， "bad" dog who chose Rick Bragg as his human and in turn， rescued Bragg as well。 Speck is definitely a wild child and gets into a lot of spats， had been through unimaginable events unknown to anyone but him， and somehow survived it all。I highly recommend this book to animal lovers and especially those who have a big heart for rescue dogs。 。。。more
Mardi
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I grew up in the American South with a father who had a strict shoot it or feed it policy when it came to strays。 Mostly he fed them。 That's how we ended up with a spanielesque creature of indeterminant origin named Kindness。 Our neighbor's mom died and Dad sent the dog to live with him and he said she was just what he needed。 Anyway， I developed， at that young age， the belief that the Universe sends you the support you need when you needed it most and quite often in the form of a four-legged， f I grew up in the American South with a father who had a strict shoot it or feed it policy when it came to strays。 Mostly he fed them。 That's how we ended up with a spanielesque creature of indeterminant origin named Kindness。 Our neighbor's mom died and Dad sent the dog to live with him and he said she was just what he needed。 Anyway， I developed， at that young age， the belief that the Universe sends you the support you need when you needed it most and quite often in the form of a four-legged， furry thing that will be enough trouble to distract you from what would otherwise be overwhelming personal mess。 Don't tell them， but my dad and my brother will probably get this book for Christmas。You don't have to have read Bragg's other books to enjoy this one。 As a librarian， I'll recommend it to every patron who loves rescue pet stories and bad dog stories。 But my Rick Bragg readers are already lined up for this one and they won't be disappointed！。 。。。more
Tracie
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Author Rick Bragg grew up and currently lives in rural Alabama。 He recently was ill with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and lives with his mother and near one of his brothers and sister-in-law。 Into his life slowly comes a stray， mostly Australian Shepherd， a large dog with one bad eye and sketchy hearing。 They already have two other stray dogs， many cats and even some donkeys， but "Speck" eventually wins his way into everyone's heart。 Bragg also takes the reader through the seasons in Alabama and the w Author Rick Bragg grew up and currently lives in rural Alabama。 He recently was ill with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and lives with his mother and near one of his brothers and sister-in-law。 Into his life slowly comes a stray， mostly Australian Shepherd， a large dog with one bad eye and sketchy hearing。 They already have two other stray dogs， many cats and even some donkeys， but "Speck" eventually wins his way into everyone's heart。 Bragg also takes the reader through the seasons in Alabama and the wildlife there and his family life over the last few years。 This is a lovely book to read on a Sunday afternoon at home with the pawed ones you share your life with beside you。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Stephanie Crowe
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