Reviewing BLIND HOPE by Kim Meeder & Laurie Sacher

From beginning to end, this true story will grab your heart, instruct, and along with tears, make you smile and say "God IS good and all-caring--all creatures great and small.'  This is the story of an unwanted dog and the woman she rescued.  The authors are located in Oregon at a ranch that generally takes in abused horses and along with that, youngsters who need help as well; the two working together, heal each other.
   Important issues that are brought out in good taste include the hidden inner anguish this girl has put herself through. She was raised in a loving, good Christian home that attended church regularly, but as she describes her 'fall' all parents need to be watching for the signs she lists: joining the rebellious crowd where 'no one is ever at fault', moral code slackens, blaming others for what she didn't want to change; did not take responsibility for her own choices, changing her clothing from modest to tight and  revealing  and wore heavy, dark makeup. She matched her internal pain with external piercings. 
   The dog the girl is rescuing is dirty, unkempt, and sickly -- soon the dog goes blind, and she has to train it to get along without injuring itself. She concludes that much of the dilemma she has with the dog is the same as what her parents once had with her i.e., how does she allow the dog to learn from her own mistakes without being harmed by them... now she understands how hard it must have been for her parents when she had more selfish desires than sense.  In the training of her dog she sees that it was not words that changed her actions but the consequences. Pain.
   All her life she has faked knowing things just to please people and make friends, including her relationship with God. She finally understands she needed to pursue her relationship with God, for real. Previously she believed nothing was her fault, that things just 'happened' to her so she was the victim and had no responsibility to change. 
   The beauty in the story is when she concludes with the thought that no one ever warned her that when you rescue a dog, the life you save might be your own. 
    The book is filled with photos of the girl and the dog, and is beautiful to read.  I highly recommend this book for all parents to read as well as teens and young adults. It can help those having difficulty as well as those put in authority to teach.
"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review." and was not required to  give a positive review.