This book is about WWII, PTSD, Service Dogs, and complex relationships. I liked the book. It had important things to say about the effects of war, adjustment to disability, service dog uses, and relationship commitments. The thing I did not like so much was the length of time spent on the guy being depressed and angry and inconsiderate of others due to his disability. Then there is almost no time spent on his emotional recovery. Although the title suggests a tale of gay romance, this novel is actually a love story between man and man's best friend (a dog). Actually, it more of a menage a trois between a dog and two men. But I'm getting ahead of myself...We've all heard of Rosie the Riveter and women's efforts in America during WWII while men went off to war, but how many of us have heard of Dogs for Defense? After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US military asked pet owners to donate their pet dogs to the war effort; the program was called Dogs for Defense. The dogs were trained and used for guard and patrol duties. A MAN OF HIS OWN is a story about Pax, a German Shepherd who is rescued by Rick, who is later drafted into the war. Learning of the Dogs for Defense program, Pax is enlisted by Rick's wife. "Anyone who had ever loved a dog wouldn't easily give up that dog to war; but war was their life now." In the war, Pax ends up bonding with the man/soldier who trained him. Post-war is where the tension starts. Does Pax return to his loving family? Or does he go with the man with whom he fought on the frontlines?The book is classified as "Contemporary Women's Fiction" -- better known as "chick lit" -- but, to me, it's makes a better YA book than a lot of that crap out there today. Teens could learn something from reading this book, unlike books about vampires or zombies. If rated, this book would be PG, yet its appeal could be to adults or young adults (male or female).This is the first writing I've read from Susan Wilson, and I must say that there are way too many different points of view within the confines of one book. The book is in need of some serious editing to provide one consistent, fluid viewpoint. As it stands, the text feels very scattered and inconsistent. First there's the viewpoint of Pax, the dog. Then the first person viewpoint of Rick, his owner. Then the first person viewpoint of Francesca, Rick's future wife. Later, there's the third person viewpoint of Keller, the other man who enlists in the war and trains Pax. Then back to a first person viewpoint from Francesca. Then a third person viewpoint from Rick. And so on and so on and so on... It makes for sloppy, unpolished, unprofessional writing when your reader can't tell whose viewpoint it is from chapter to chapter until they're into the second or third paragraph of a new chapter. By the time you do figure it out, it just feels amateurish and detracts from the point of the story. Having one solid (even omniscient) viewpoint would make this a stronger novel.All in all, I loved the subject matter of this novel, even though I wasn't impressed by the changing viewpoints or that the characters weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be. As it stands, they weren't all likeable enough to enjoy how the author chose to wrap everything up in the end.
What do You think about A Man Of His Own (2013)?
2.5 This was kind of like a Lifetime movie, sweet, smaltzy and predictable.
—horia
A sweet poignant story of love. Excellent storyline.
—musiclovedance
