Until Tuesday

A Wounded Warrior and the
Golden Retriever Who Saved Him

Book Review. Nonfiction Memoir

Until Tuesday is the story of Luis Carlos Montalvan and his dog Tuesday.

Luis is an Army veteran wounded in body and mind.

Tuesday is intelligent, well-trained, and disinterested.

"Tuesday craved a relationship, but he was too smart to fawn just because someone handed me his leash."

Luis suffered physical injuries, including a TBI. Topped off with PTSD, Luis was barely making it through each day. . . until Tuesday.

Tuesday was a detached dog who desperately needed, but did not trust, attachment.

Because service dogs have so much to learn, they usually go through multiple training programs with different handlers. They are socialized and taught basic manners. They received special training to provide basic assistance. Then they learn tasks specifically tailored to their disabled owners.

Most dogs adapt well to this process. Tuesday did not.

Tuesday was different. He craved a bond and being shunted around left him unattached and disinterested. He was a dog in need, a dog not willing to give his trust again.

Unlike the other teams in the program that brought Luis and Tuesday together, the two did not have an instant rapport. Tuesday needed Luis to earn his trust. Luis took up the challenge. Instead of demanding obedience from a subordinate, Luis created a true team bond with his dog.

All the Best Feels

Until Tuesday is the story of two broken creatures who found and loved one other. It has all the feels you want: love, hope, trust, hope. Okay a lot of hope.

It doesn’t drag you through detailed renditions of tragedy, although it gives you enough to appreciate the value of service dogs.

As Luis and Tuesday bond, bringing healing into each other’s lives, you will drawn into their story. If you shed a tear, (and you probably will) it will be a ‘that’s so beautiful’ sort of tear.

Learn a little

This book will help you appreciate the immense value of a service dog to his owner. You will learn a bit about their training and the tasks they can perform.

You will also learn about the responsibility the owners have to keep their dog healthy and happy, to make their dog a good ambassador to the non disabled world.

It might even make you angry with people passing off their pets as service animals.

What I Loved Most

I loved the mutual nature of the salvation in this story. Sometimes you save a dog. Sometimes the dog saves you. But the best stories (for me at least) are those where the healing is reciprocal.

Luis and Tuesday were each broken in their own way. They needed each other. And they saved each other.

Until Tuesday Review

Why you want to read this!

1. A dog and a human save each other. What more could you ask?

2. You will learn a little about the value of service dogs.

3. It has all the best feels of hope and found family.

Find the book in your local bookstore or at your favorite online retailer here.