For this prompt, I chose Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson, and this one truly hit close to home for me.
Thunder Dog tells the incredible true story of Michael Hingson, a man who is blind, and his guide dog, Roselle, as they navigate their escape from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. It’s a powerful story of trust, courage, and the unbreakable bond between a person and a guide dog in the face of unimaginable circumstances.
What made this book especially meaningful to me is my own background. I earned my master’s degree in visual impairments, and as part of my program, we traveled to New York shortly after 9/11. During that trip, we were able to tour The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey—and it was truly an amazing experience.
Reading this book brought all of that back. The training, the partnerships, and the incredible intelligence and loyalty of these dogs—it gave me an even deeper appreciation for the work they do and the lives they help shape.
This isn’t just a story about survival. It’s a story about trust, preparation, and the quiet strength that carries people through the hardest moments of their lives.
Some books stay with you because of the story. Others stay with you because they connect to your own journey.
This one did both.
