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Finding Jack
When the war ends, how do you leave your best friend behind?
After losing his young family in a tragic accident, Fletcher Carson joins the flagging war effort in Vietnam. Deeply depressed, he plans to die in the war. But during one of his early missions, Fletcher rescues a critically wounded yellow Lab whom he nurses back to health and names Jack. As Fletcher and Jack patrol and survive the forests of Vietnam, Fletcher slowly regains the will to live.
At the end of the war, the U.S. Government announces that due to the cost of withdrawal, all U.S. dogs serving in the war have been declared "surplus military equipment" and will not be transported home. For the hundreds of dog handlers throughout Vietnam, whose dogs had saved countless lives, the news is greeted with shock and disbelief.
For Fletcher, he knows that if he abandons Jack, then he too will be lost. Ordered to leave Jack behind, he refuses—and so begins their journey.
Based on the actual existence and abandonment of canine units in Vietnam, Gareth Crocker's Finding Jack is a novel of friendship and love under desperate circumstances that will grab your heart and won't let go.
After losing his young family in a tragic accident, Fletcher Carson joins the flagging war effort in Vietnam. Deeply depressed, he plans to die in the war. But during one of his early missions, Fletcher rescues a critically wounded yellow Lab whom he nurses back to health and names Jack. As Fletcher and Jack patrol and survive the forests of Vietnam, Fletcher slowly regains the will to live.
At the end of the war, the U.S. Government announces that due to the cost of withdrawal, all U.S. dogs serving in the war have been declared "surplus military equipment" and will not be transported home. For the hundreds of dog handlers throughout Vietnam, whose dogs had saved countless lives, the news is greeted with shock and disbelief.
For Fletcher, he knows that if he abandons Jack, then he too will be lost. Ordered to leave Jack behind, he refuses—and so begins their journey.
Based on the actual existence and abandonment of canine units in Vietnam, Gareth Crocker's Finding Jack is a novel of friendship and love under desperate circumstances that will grab your heart and won't let go.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2011
27 people are currently reading
876 people want to read
About the author
Gareth Crocker
16 books59 followersGareth Crocker was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1974. He has a degree in English, Psychology and Communications and has worked as a journalist, copywriter, news editor, public relations manager, publishing editor and, most recently, head of communications and spokesperson for a multinational corporation. Writing is done at night, in a dark room, next to a small window, under a bright moon. Leaving Jack is his first novel, which he wrote in the company of his three dogs, Jill, Rusty and Jack. A new US hardcover version of Leaving Jack, entitled Finding Jack is due for release on February 15, 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
February 27, 2011
When the Vietnam War was winding down and the United States was evacuating material and personnel, they committed a crime that would make Michael Vick look like a saint.
At that time there were thousands of war dogs (soldiers) that were classified as "surplus military equipment" and not worth the cost of transporting them back to the United States. These were dogs that it was believed to have been responsible for saving somewhere in the area of ten thousand soldiers. A token number were handed over to the South Vietnamese, but the majority were just left loose to fend for themselves.
Fletcher Carson has lost his wife and young daughter in a plane crash and has become suicidal. This leads him to enlist in the Army and a request for duty in Vietnam. He becomes part of a reconnaissance unit. The unit is returning from a mission and they find a yellow Labrador retriever that has been shot. Ignoring orders to kill the Lab, Fletcher brings him back to camp and nurses him back to health.
They are unable to find where the dog came from because all war dogs were tattooed and this dog has no markings. The dog becomes a favorite with the members of the unit, and shows a knowledge of taking commands that a trained war dog would respond to.
The dog is sent out on missions and is able to detect bombs and booby traps, and on one mission save the entire squad from certain death.
When the United States sarts to pull out of Vietnam, Fletcher is told that "Jack" must be left behind.
Fletcher devises a plan to stay behind and he and Jack plan to hike out of Vietnam through Laos to friendly Thailand. Once reaching Thailand, Fletcher is hoping to find a way for them to return to the United States.
A harrowing journey begins that displays the courage, friendship, and total dedication they have for each other.
A magnificent read that should be read by everyone, but definately be every animal lover.
You will probably be smart to keep a box of Kleenex handy when reading the story.
At that time there were thousands of war dogs (soldiers) that were classified as "surplus military equipment" and not worth the cost of transporting them back to the United States. These were dogs that it was believed to have been responsible for saving somewhere in the area of ten thousand soldiers. A token number were handed over to the South Vietnamese, but the majority were just left loose to fend for themselves.
Fletcher Carson has lost his wife and young daughter in a plane crash and has become suicidal. This leads him to enlist in the Army and a request for duty in Vietnam. He becomes part of a reconnaissance unit. The unit is returning from a mission and they find a yellow Labrador retriever that has been shot. Ignoring orders to kill the Lab, Fletcher brings him back to camp and nurses him back to health.
They are unable to find where the dog came from because all war dogs were tattooed and this dog has no markings. The dog becomes a favorite with the members of the unit, and shows a knowledge of taking commands that a trained war dog would respond to.
The dog is sent out on missions and is able to detect bombs and booby traps, and on one mission save the entire squad from certain death.
When the United States sarts to pull out of Vietnam, Fletcher is told that "Jack" must be left behind.
Fletcher devises a plan to stay behind and he and Jack plan to hike out of Vietnam through Laos to friendly Thailand. Once reaching Thailand, Fletcher is hoping to find a way for them to return to the United States.
A harrowing journey begins that displays the courage, friendship, and total dedication they have for each other.
A magnificent read that should be read by everyone, but definately be every animal lover.
You will probably be smart to keep a box of Kleenex handy when reading the story.
April 22, 2011
This could have been a great book - interesting plot about the Vietnam dog, and the main character had a gripping background. But from there, it read like a made for TV movie. Full of events predictable events, people that were just in the right place at the nick of time, and scenes that were 'supposed' to move the reader that were just too contrived. It's entertaining as a good quick beach read, but not if you're in the mood for a challenge.
October 29, 2011
I can't review this the way I want. Finding Jack is one of the best books I've ever read. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the "war dogs" since I read the non-fiction book Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII by William W. Putney. (That was another one of the best books I've ever read.)
Finding Jack reads like non-fiction. I can't count the number of times my heart started thumping, me wondering what was going to happen next. I haven't cried while reading many books. I haven't even cried while watching many movies (excepting Hatchi of course.) I choked up numerous times during the course of this book. One time I was fully sobbing.
Sounds like something you don't want to read right? Exactly the opposite. I was dumbfounded by how I didn't want to put it down. I had to know what happened next. I hoped and hoped it would go the way I wanted it to go because I wasn't sure I could take something else.
I want to tell friends and strangers alike they have to read this. This relationship, the one between this man and his dog, are what each and every relationship between man and dog should be.
I kept finding myself comparing myself. Would I do that for my dog? Could I do that for my dog? The last isn't very fair considering I'm hardly military-ready and these were the types of things I was imagining. But you get my drift.
The only thing I wish was different about this book was the length. I wish it was about 4 times as long. I'd have loved it if it was. Crocker is a very, very talented man. I sincerely hope he's going to continue to write and I'd read his next book in a heartbeat. I'd buy it, full price, in a heartbeat (those that know me know what that means.)
Don't miss this - you'll never know what you're missing. Matter of fact, read both Finding Jack AND Always Faithful. They're both fantastic, fantastic works of art.
Finding Jack reads like non-fiction. I can't count the number of times my heart started thumping, me wondering what was going to happen next. I haven't cried while reading many books. I haven't even cried while watching many movies (excepting Hatchi of course.) I choked up numerous times during the course of this book. One time I was fully sobbing.
Sounds like something you don't want to read right? Exactly the opposite. I was dumbfounded by how I didn't want to put it down. I had to know what happened next. I hoped and hoped it would go the way I wanted it to go because I wasn't sure I could take something else.
I want to tell friends and strangers alike they have to read this. This relationship, the one between this man and his dog, are what each and every relationship between man and dog should be.
I kept finding myself comparing myself. Would I do that for my dog? Could I do that for my dog? The last isn't very fair considering I'm hardly military-ready and these were the types of things I was imagining. But you get my drift.
The only thing I wish was different about this book was the length. I wish it was about 4 times as long. I'd have loved it if it was. Crocker is a very, very talented man. I sincerely hope he's going to continue to write and I'd read his next book in a heartbeat. I'd buy it, full price, in a heartbeat (those that know me know what that means.)
Don't miss this - you'll never know what you're missing. Matter of fact, read both Finding Jack AND Always Faithful. They're both fantastic, fantastic works of art.
May 24, 2011
Crocker's book is a reason why I love debut authors and tend to seek them out. This book sucked me in almost immediately. It is a beautiful story about man's relationship with dog in a harrowing setting. I am actually shocked that it was written during the time of the Vietnam War versus the Iraq/Afghan War, since the issue of military leadership ordering the destruction of dogs and soldiers not listening and shipping them back to the US (thank God) is an issue which continues today. I loved this book as much as I loved From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava and From Baghdad to America (Library Edition): Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava. There have been multiple times I have been on the verge of tears.
Beautiful debut, Mr. Crocker..if your debut is this good, I can't wait to see what we readers can be expecting in the future from you!
Beautiful debut, Mr. Crocker..if your debut is this good, I can't wait to see what we readers can be expecting in the future from you!
June 11, 2019
I just had to read this story after skimming this passage on the dust jacket:
"Fletcher and Jack are a team, and like the hundreds of other U.S. military dogs and their handlers in Vietnam, they serve their country, saving countless lives. To the men, these dogs are heroes. But at the end of the war, the U.S. government announces that all dogs serving in the war have been declared 'surplus military equipment' and will not be transported home. Ordered to leave Jack behind, Fletcher refuses, and so begins the journey of two friends who will go to the ends of the earth to save each other."
I hate to be critical of a book that deals with such touching subject matter, but the majority of it was full of combat situations. I wanted to know more about the dogs and a more deeply developed focus of Fletcher and Jack's relationship. I just felt short-changed.
"Fletcher and Jack are a team, and like the hundreds of other U.S. military dogs and their handlers in Vietnam, they serve their country, saving countless lives. To the men, these dogs are heroes. But at the end of the war, the U.S. government announces that all dogs serving in the war have been declared 'surplus military equipment' and will not be transported home. Ordered to leave Jack behind, Fletcher refuses, and so begins the journey of two friends who will go to the ends of the earth to save each other."
I hate to be critical of a book that deals with such touching subject matter, but the majority of it was full of combat situations. I wanted to know more about the dogs and a more deeply developed focus of Fletcher and Jack's relationship. I just felt short-changed.
August 5, 2023
I really liked this book, finished it in about a day. But it was just a little too contrived for a five star rating. Some of the scenes were just too "lucky", two many close calls.
Vietnam was a horrible period in our country's history, and the way we treated our returning soldiers left a black mark on our collective soul. In this novel, a platoon of soldiers finds a highly-trained dog (Jack) in the Vietnamese jungle. Despite being shot, the dog survives and "becomes a soldier" with the rest of the troop. Throughout the course of the 289-page book, he saves more than one member of the platoon and they, especially Fletcher, save his life too. Very emotional read.
Vietnam was a horrible period in our country's history, and the way we treated our returning soldiers left a black mark on our collective soul. In this novel, a platoon of soldiers finds a highly-trained dog (Jack) in the Vietnamese jungle. Despite being shot, the dog survives and "becomes a soldier" with the rest of the troop. Throughout the course of the 289-page book, he saves more than one member of the platoon and they, especially Fletcher, save his life too. Very emotional read.
September 1, 2014
This book was kind of sappy, despite the Vietnam War setting. I think it would have been more interesting to read about the lives of the real helper dogs than Jack the miracle dog (who survives hilariously improbably numbers of injuries and not only that, fully recovers from them). The main character doesn't have much of a personality, and is kind of Marty Stu-ish (). The ending is sad, but in the way, not because Jack is some immortal character I'll think about forever.
The story is soap-opera-ish, with too much Deus Ex Machina to be worthwhile, and some goofy dialogue. It's a pretty cliche Vietnam story, with all the old character stereotypes.
A more interesting read would have been a historical non-fiction book, I think, with interviews, and pictures. Real-life stories, in this sort of situation, would probably be far more interesting and emotional.
The story is soap-opera-ish, with too much Deus Ex Machina to be worthwhile, and some goofy dialogue. It's a pretty cliche Vietnam story, with all the old character stereotypes.
A more interesting read would have been a historical non-fiction book, I think, with interviews, and pictures. Real-life stories, in this sort of situation, would probably be far more interesting and emotional.
April 16, 2014
I would give this WONDERFUL FOOK 10 STARS. It broke my heard and mended my heart and it will always be one of my most favorite books of all time.
Fletcher Carson volunteers for Viet Nam service. {You will find out why once you read the book.}
Once in Viet Nam, Fletcher finds a dog, a yellow lab, which he names JACK. Man and dog become "one," with JACK finding trip wires and saving the lives of THE FAT LADY PLATOON.
I won't spoil the heart breaking story for you; but rest assured this story is a WINNER!
Fletcher Carson volunteers for Viet Nam service. {You will find out why once you read the book.}
Once in Viet Nam, Fletcher finds a dog, a yellow lab, which he names JACK. Man and dog become "one," with JACK finding trip wires and saving the lives of THE FAT LADY PLATOON.
I won't spoil the heart breaking story for you; but rest assured this story is a WINNER!
August 14, 2016
I got this book from the store book exchange at the store that I have coffee at. It was a good book. It was well written. It had a tear jerker ending for sure. It is about a dog that was shot in the Vietnam war by a American soldier. I hope to read more books by this author.
June 30, 2021
A wonderful read...highly reccomended !
Superb writing style - never a dull moment.
Emotional & heartbreaking but healing at the same time.
Each chapter flows into another and the reader is pushed along to read further & further.
The storyline touches on each aspect of life. Love, kindness, grief, friendship ,war and most important of all,sacrifice for somethings that give you life itself.
In this case, Jack the dog saves Fletcher and in turn Fletcher saves Jack.
Both relentlessly journey the path to healing their broken lives.The novel captures the essence of how an animal can restore hope in one to endure lifes colours again.
Superb writing style - never a dull moment.
Emotional & heartbreaking but healing at the same time.
Each chapter flows into another and the reader is pushed along to read further & further.
The storyline touches on each aspect of life. Love, kindness, grief, friendship ,war and most important of all,sacrifice for somethings that give you life itself.
In this case, Jack the dog saves Fletcher and in turn Fletcher saves Jack.
Both relentlessly journey the path to healing their broken lives.The novel captures the essence of how an animal can restore hope in one to endure lifes colours again.
March 16, 2011
Finding Jack
Gareth Crocker
St. Martin’s Press
290 pages
A tragic accident takes away the very heart of Fletcher Carson, his wife and daughter. After their deaths he tries but finds he just can’t cope with living without them, after a failed attempt at ending it all he decides to try suicide by war. It’s late 1972 and the war in Vietnam is almost over, we’re loosing more and more boys everyday and many question the cost of their sacrifice, here at home we protest daily and treat our home bound soldiers not with fanfare but with barbs and shouts, but in the field orders must still be followed and that’s where we find Fletcher. While on patrol his platoon finds an injured Labrador retriever, the Lieutenant orders him shot, but Fletcher won’t have it. The dog is ultimately taken back to base where he becomes much more than a pet, but an invaluable asset protecting the men out on patrol. Then the news comes the war is over, there is cheering and celebration until the final edict is announced, one that will change forever the lives of a few good men and one brave dog.
Gareth Crocker made me relive my youth and not all pleasant memories. I remember being in high school in the early 70’s hearing horror stories of big brother’s, uncles’ and sometimes father’s of my classmates coming home from war, but not completely as they were never the same again, and then there were the stories of the ones that never came back. But the one thing I didn’t know about was the fate of the thousands of war dogs in which only a fraction came home, most were euthanized and some were left to their own devices when the US pulled out of Vietnam.
This is the fictional tale of one of the lucky ones, a tale that will make you laugh and make you cry, but it’s a tale that had to be told, it’s an important lesson to learn and Mr. Crocker does a wonderful job of telling it. He tells it, not in prose and flowery dialogue, but in a narrative that takes you into the jungles, on the bases and into the minds of the men who were there. He gives us colorful characters that he builds up and then takes away from us, not because he’s cruel but because that’s the way it was and he gives us characters that survive, that sacrificed and made it through and those are the characters that will stay with you long after the novel ends. This is a love story about a boy and a dog, it’s a second coming of age story of someone who lost his way and found it again at the end of a leash. It’s about camaraderie and deep friendship, about doing the right thing, it’s about fate and it’s ultimately about faith in the face of terror and destruction.
Is this an easy book to read, no. You will cry a few tears. Is it worth those tears, definitely. All in all this is a feel good book, even though you have to wade through some pain. It’s a novel for all ages, for all walks of life, it’s a testament to those who give voice to those who have none to those who do the right thing.
Gareth Crocker
St. Martin’s Press
290 pages
A tragic accident takes away the very heart of Fletcher Carson, his wife and daughter. After their deaths he tries but finds he just can’t cope with living without them, after a failed attempt at ending it all he decides to try suicide by war. It’s late 1972 and the war in Vietnam is almost over, we’re loosing more and more boys everyday and many question the cost of their sacrifice, here at home we protest daily and treat our home bound soldiers not with fanfare but with barbs and shouts, but in the field orders must still be followed and that’s where we find Fletcher. While on patrol his platoon finds an injured Labrador retriever, the Lieutenant orders him shot, but Fletcher won’t have it. The dog is ultimately taken back to base where he becomes much more than a pet, but an invaluable asset protecting the men out on patrol. Then the news comes the war is over, there is cheering and celebration until the final edict is announced, one that will change forever the lives of a few good men and one brave dog.
Gareth Crocker made me relive my youth and not all pleasant memories. I remember being in high school in the early 70’s hearing horror stories of big brother’s, uncles’ and sometimes father’s of my classmates coming home from war, but not completely as they were never the same again, and then there were the stories of the ones that never came back. But the one thing I didn’t know about was the fate of the thousands of war dogs in which only a fraction came home, most were euthanized and some were left to their own devices when the US pulled out of Vietnam.
This is the fictional tale of one of the lucky ones, a tale that will make you laugh and make you cry, but it’s a tale that had to be told, it’s an important lesson to learn and Mr. Crocker does a wonderful job of telling it. He tells it, not in prose and flowery dialogue, but in a narrative that takes you into the jungles, on the bases and into the minds of the men who were there. He gives us colorful characters that he builds up and then takes away from us, not because he’s cruel but because that’s the way it was and he gives us characters that survive, that sacrificed and made it through and those are the characters that will stay with you long after the novel ends. This is a love story about a boy and a dog, it’s a second coming of age story of someone who lost his way and found it again at the end of a leash. It’s about camaraderie and deep friendship, about doing the right thing, it’s about fate and it’s ultimately about faith in the face of terror and destruction.
Is this an easy book to read, no. You will cry a few tears. Is it worth those tears, definitely. All in all this is a feel good book, even though you have to wade through some pain. It’s a novel for all ages, for all walks of life, it’s a testament to those who give voice to those who have none to those who do the right thing.
February 10, 2015
I couldn't put it down.
When the war ends, how do you leave your best friend behind?
After losing his young family in a tragic accident, Fletcher Carson joins the flagging war effort in Vietnam. Deeply depressed, he plans to die in the war. But during one of his early missions, Fletcher rescues a critically wounded yellow Lab whom he nurses back to health and names Jack. As Fletcher and Jack patrol and survive the forests of Vietnam, Fletcher slowly regains the will to live.
At the end of the war, the U.S. Government announces that due to the cost of withdrawal, all U.S. dogs serving in the war have been declared “surplus military equipment” and will not be transported home. For the hundreds of dog handlers throughout Vietnam, whose dogs had saved countless lives, the news is greeted with shock and disbelief.
For Fletcher, he knows that if he abandons Jack, then he too will be lost. Ordered to leave Jack behind, he refuses — and so begins their journey.
Based on the actual existence and abandonment of canine units in Vietnam, Gareth Crocker’s Finding Jack is a novel of friendship and love under desperate circumstances that will grab your heart and won’t let go.
When the war ends, how do you leave your best friend behind?
After losing his young family in a tragic accident, Fletcher Carson joins the flagging war effort in Vietnam. Deeply depressed, he plans to die in the war. But during one of his early missions, Fletcher rescues a critically wounded yellow Lab whom he nurses back to health and names Jack. As Fletcher and Jack patrol and survive the forests of Vietnam, Fletcher slowly regains the will to live.
At the end of the war, the U.S. Government announces that due to the cost of withdrawal, all U.S. dogs serving in the war have been declared “surplus military equipment” and will not be transported home. For the hundreds of dog handlers throughout Vietnam, whose dogs had saved countless lives, the news is greeted with shock and disbelief.
For Fletcher, he knows that if he abandons Jack, then he too will be lost. Ordered to leave Jack behind, he refuses — and so begins their journey.
Based on the actual existence and abandonment of canine units in Vietnam, Gareth Crocker’s Finding Jack is a novel of friendship and love under desperate circumstances that will grab your heart and won’t let go.
February 1, 2011
While reading this book, I thought about my dad. No, he was not in Vietnam, but he was a soldier and this book is full of testosterone and war. (There is not a single woman character until the end but I loved it!!) I told him I was reading a Vietnam novel and asked if he liked to read soldier/war/Vietnam books. My dad said they can get a bit wild, that there was often too much drug use in them.
This gets a bit wild with booby traps, intense fear everday, jumping out of helicopters into enemy fire, night watches, covert missions, and lots of killing, but the men do not use drugs to get through their trials. Instead there is comradeship, bonds formed between men, and there is a dog named Jack. It's about a soldier and how, believe it or not, he finds a way to heal in the war torn jungle of Vietnam with a dog by his side....
To read full review, please click on the link: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2011/...
This gets a bit wild with booby traps, intense fear everday, jumping out of helicopters into enemy fire, night watches, covert missions, and lots of killing, but the men do not use drugs to get through their trials. Instead there is comradeship, bonds formed between men, and there is a dog named Jack. It's about a soldier and how, believe it or not, he finds a way to heal in the war torn jungle of Vietnam with a dog by his side....
To read full review, please click on the link: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2011/...
September 8, 2016
I ADORED this book! It's one of those books that I could not put down. You know the sort of book where you say to yourself 'just one more chapter, just one more page' and before you know it it's late at night and you've got to get up for work in the morning. Of course once it ended and i'd stopped sobbing, I couldn't get to sleep, reliving the entire story.
May 25, 2018
This story relates on many levels. ....mans reationship with animals, the Vietnamese war, survival, depression. For those dog lovers this is real win and for those who have been lucky to have a relationship with a dog that isreferred to among dog lovers as a ‘heart dog’ this story is easy to relate to. Well told from a new author. Highly recommended.
March 7, 2015
I loved this book! The lengths a man will go to in order to save this dog in the middle of the Vietnam War is nothing short of amazing! Funny parts, sad parts, I loved this story and hated for it to end!
January 27, 2016
Love the fact that this is a true story. In a way hate that fact too. It's horrible how someone shoots a military dog and then one man (helped by many) tries to save it. Its a beautiful story about love for this dog by many helps the men cope with the war in Vietnam.
August 8, 2012
Very tear jerking! One of the best books I've read in a very long while!!!
March 14, 2020
This was absolutely excellent! Very well written. Kept you wanting to read another chapter, and another chapter...and another chapter! One of the best!!
May 4, 2022
A trama é bem clichê. Isso por si só não é de todo mau, muitos usam tal recurso e conseguem fazer coisas maravilhosas... infelizmente não foi o caso desse livro. - Um homem nos seus trinta e poucos anos, após sofrer uma tragédia, decide ir para a guerra do Vietnam lutar pelo modo de vida americano (etc) e assim fazer com que o seu suicídio tenha algum significado.
Eu já li e assisti dezenas de livros e filmes assim, você também. Não é ruim, na verdade é até bem pipoca - ou seja, aquele tipo que te diverte durante uma tarde, mas não é nada que mereça uma mudança de planos da sua folga.
Porém Croker, que usa isso para contar como a amizade do protagonista com um cachorro o faz querer voltar a viver, não consegue encaixar suficiente empatia no texto para nos emocionar e nem ação para chegar a um clímax.
Vários livros não tem clímax, mas isso é um recurso deliberado o que não é o caso de Leaving Jack. As reviravoltas são poucas, a ação é mínima, o personagem não evolui e não tem nada para fazer contraponto - nem drama, vilania, humor - absolutamente nada.
Uma das grandes questões do livro é de onde vem o cão, Jack. No início é interessante a forma como todo o batalhão tenta desvendar o mistério, mas no final, o furo no roteiro e a necessidade de acabar uma história que já deu no que tinha que dar, faz o autor decidir que o cão na verdade é um enviado do "além".
Um tapa buraco terrível para uma história que nada tinha a ver de espiritual ou sobrenatural, não combina com nenhum dos fatos que são narrados como a retirada das tropas do Vietnam, ou ainda, com a luta do protagonista para conseguir que Jack não fosse largado para trás como aconteceu com várias companhias caninas.
Leaving Jack foi uma tentativa de mesclar dois estilos populares, guerras e animais, mas o resultado é fraco demais. Como se fosse o esboço do resumo do manuscrito e não a obra final.
Eu já li e assisti dezenas de livros e filmes assim, você também. Não é ruim, na verdade é até bem pipoca - ou seja, aquele tipo que te diverte durante uma tarde, mas não é nada que mereça uma mudança de planos da sua folga.
Porém Croker, que usa isso para contar como a amizade do protagonista com um cachorro o faz querer voltar a viver, não consegue encaixar suficiente empatia no texto para nos emocionar e nem ação para chegar a um clímax.
Vários livros não tem clímax, mas isso é um recurso deliberado o que não é o caso de Leaving Jack. As reviravoltas são poucas, a ação é mínima, o personagem não evolui e não tem nada para fazer contraponto - nem drama, vilania, humor - absolutamente nada.
Uma das grandes questões do livro é de onde vem o cão, Jack. No início é interessante a forma como todo o batalhão tenta desvendar o mistério, mas no final, o furo no roteiro e a necessidade de acabar uma história que já deu no que tinha que dar, faz o autor decidir que o cão na verdade é um enviado do "além".
Um tapa buraco terrível para uma história que nada tinha a ver de espiritual ou sobrenatural, não combina com nenhum dos fatos que são narrados como a retirada das tropas do Vietnam, ou ainda, com a luta do protagonista para conseguir que Jack não fosse largado para trás como aconteceu com várias companhias caninas.
Leaving Jack foi uma tentativa de mesclar dois estilos populares, guerras e animais, mas o resultado é fraco demais. Como se fosse o esboço do resumo do manuscrito e não a obra final.
October 20, 2024
Sometimes Heartwrenching, Sometimes Heartwarming But At All Times An Excellent Book!
Finding Jack is an extremely moving debut novel by Gareth Crocker of a lost and lonely man who joins the war in Vietnam on his own personal suicide mission. But after stumbling upon a critically injured dog, he unexpectedly finds a reason to live. He finds Jack.
He and Jack are a team, and like the hundreds of other U.S. dogs and their handlers in Vietnam, they serve their country and save countless lives. To the men, the dogs are heroes; to the Government, they are just surplus equipment. When the U.S. decides to pull out of Vietnam, the man refuses to leave Jack behind. And so begins the journey of two friends who will go to the ends of the earth for each other.
Finding Jack is based on the existence of actual canine units in Vietnam. It is much more than just a story of man saves dog. It is a moving tribute to the forgotten heroes of a desperate war, and proof that sometimes it is dog that truly saves man.
The characters of Fletcher Carson and the Labrador Jack, as well as of the supporting cast, are very well-developed and will continue to live with you long after you've turned the last page. Does Crocker take some literary license a bit too far and play a bit heavy on the "reader's heartstrings?" Yes, towards the end; but at that time I was so committed to this excellent debut that it in no way was going to prevent me from giving it the 5-star rating so richly deserved.
Highly recommended to all readers, and especially to dog lovers. Be forewarned, however, that it is highly unlikely that you'll be able to make it through this book without having to either take some deep breathes to get rid of the lump in your throat or to pause at various times to wipe the watery stuff that comes into the corners of your eyes, or both. Wait -- could those have been tears in my eyes?
Finding Jack is an extremely moving debut novel by Gareth Crocker of a lost and lonely man who joins the war in Vietnam on his own personal suicide mission. But after stumbling upon a critically injured dog, he unexpectedly finds a reason to live. He finds Jack.
He and Jack are a team, and like the hundreds of other U.S. dogs and their handlers in Vietnam, they serve their country and save countless lives. To the men, the dogs are heroes; to the Government, they are just surplus equipment. When the U.S. decides to pull out of Vietnam, the man refuses to leave Jack behind. And so begins the journey of two friends who will go to the ends of the earth for each other.
Finding Jack is based on the existence of actual canine units in Vietnam. It is much more than just a story of man saves dog. It is a moving tribute to the forgotten heroes of a desperate war, and proof that sometimes it is dog that truly saves man.
The characters of Fletcher Carson and the Labrador Jack, as well as of the supporting cast, are very well-developed and will continue to live with you long after you've turned the last page. Does Crocker take some literary license a bit too far and play a bit heavy on the "reader's heartstrings?" Yes, towards the end; but at that time I was so committed to this excellent debut that it in no way was going to prevent me from giving it the 5-star rating so richly deserved.
Highly recommended to all readers, and especially to dog lovers. Be forewarned, however, that it is highly unlikely that you'll be able to make it through this book without having to either take some deep breathes to get rid of the lump in your throat or to pause at various times to wipe the watery stuff that comes into the corners of your eyes, or both. Wait -- could those have been tears in my eyes?
December 7, 2016
I was lent Finding Jack by Gareth Crocker by a lovely lady who runs the local Dog Rescue Service. She thought I would enjoy reading this book. She was so right.
It was an easy to read book about the thousands of US Military dogs who were left behind at the end of the Vietnam War. They were classed as surplus military equipment.
The story begins with the special bond between a Soldier and his dog. A dog he found in the jungle, starved and injured.
The Soldier, Fletcher Carson, at a loose end,had enlisted after the tragic death of his wife and child. Carson has lost the will to live until he finds Jack. Jack becomes an intricate part of the Unit and saves his men numerous times from the enemy's traps.
At the end of the war, Carson is ordered to leave Jack behind.
He refuses.
We follow the dangerous path Carson has chosen to try to get his best friend to safety travelling hundreds of miles through inhospitable jungle of three countries during the US Military withdrawal of Vietnam.
Gareth Crocker has shown insight into the heartbreaking decision many Dog Handlers had to make.
The Military Dogs became family to the soldiers that served with them.
We read of the deep love between a man and a dog and the nightmare they live through trying to get home, the friendship between the soldiers and the sacrifices they make for each other.
A wonderful written tribute to the Canine Soldiers of the Vietnam War.
It was an easy to read book about the thousands of US Military dogs who were left behind at the end of the Vietnam War. They were classed as surplus military equipment.
The story begins with the special bond between a Soldier and his dog. A dog he found in the jungle, starved and injured.
The Soldier, Fletcher Carson, at a loose end,had enlisted after the tragic death of his wife and child. Carson has lost the will to live until he finds Jack. Jack becomes an intricate part of the Unit and saves his men numerous times from the enemy's traps.
At the end of the war, Carson is ordered to leave Jack behind.
He refuses.
We follow the dangerous path Carson has chosen to try to get his best friend to safety travelling hundreds of miles through inhospitable jungle of three countries during the US Military withdrawal of Vietnam.
Gareth Crocker has shown insight into the heartbreaking decision many Dog Handlers had to make.
The Military Dogs became family to the soldiers that served with them.
We read of the deep love between a man and a dog and the nightmare they live through trying to get home, the friendship between the soldiers and the sacrifices they make for each other.
A wonderful written tribute to the Canine Soldiers of the Vietnam War.
March 28, 2022
I realize it is fiction, but I just have to say it was so far fetched that I can't give it more than two stars. I'm married to an Airborne Ranger (75th C. Co. ) who was a combat vet in Vietnam so I kind of rolled my eyes at the daring exploits of the Lt. and his small platoon- not even sure what they were suppose to be...it really never said, but I can tell you this- no one would ever be sent into a cave to by-pass sleeping soldiers (thirty of em) to kill two officers- my husband laughed when I told him how the Lt. did hand over hand above the V.C. and slipped and landed with one foot on either side of a sleeping soldier. It was so silly, even a person who isn't aware of what combat soldiers do would have a very hard time believing that mission. I can list several things that are too phony to be believed, but I don't want to come across as so negative with the book. It is fiction after all.
But, I read this because of my love for working dogs for the military, and I know the history of the dogs left behind, and also know that won't happen again, thank God.
But, I read this because of my love for working dogs for the military, and I know the history of the dogs left behind, and also know that won't happen again, thank God.
May 12, 2024
After losing his young family in a tragic accident, Fletcher Carson joins the flagging war effort in Vietnam. Deeply depressed, he plans to die in the war. But during one of his early missions, Fletcher rescues a critically wounded yellow Lab whom he nurses back to health and names Jack. As Fletcher and Jack patrol and survive the forests of Vietnam, Fletcher slowly regains the will to live.
At the end of the war, the U.S. Government announces that due to the cost of withdrawal, all U.S. dogs serving in the war have been declared “surplus military equipment” and will not be transported home. For the hundreds of dog handlers throughout Vietnam, whose dogs had saved countless lives, the news is greeted with shock and disbelief. For Fletcher, he knows that if he abandons Jack, then he too will be lost. Ordered to leave Jack behind, he refuses—and so begins their journey.
Based on the actual existence and abandonment of canine units in Vietnam, Gareth Crocker’s Finding Jack is a novel of friendship and love under desperate circumstances that will grab your heart and won’t let go.
At the end of the war, the U.S. Government announces that due to the cost of withdrawal, all U.S. dogs serving in the war have been declared “surplus military equipment” and will not be transported home. For the hundreds of dog handlers throughout Vietnam, whose dogs had saved countless lives, the news is greeted with shock and disbelief. For Fletcher, he knows that if he abandons Jack, then he too will be lost. Ordered to leave Jack behind, he refuses—and so begins their journey.
Based on the actual existence and abandonment of canine units in Vietnam, Gareth Crocker’s Finding Jack is a novel of friendship and love under desperate circumstances that will grab your heart and won’t let go.
November 15, 2020
*Audiobook review*
This is the second book that I've come across by Gareth Crocker, and as with Finn Jupiter I am amazed by the sheer amount of feeling the author has managed to squeeze in a book of modest length. Clearly this is not a question of size indicating quality, because this book is a real cracker, with a compelling plot, relatable characters, interesting historical details and one of the most amazing animals I've read about to date. Here you can see the horror of war, unvarnished and raw, combined nonetheless with the bonds of fraternal love and solidarity that can be seen in few other places or settings beside. Crocker etches these relationships with convincing craftsmanship, whole never ceasing to remind us of that central, stronger than iron bond of love and fidelity between a man and his dog that see them both through trials of many kinds.
This is an excellent book, with the perfect narrator for the job. It will tug on anyone's heartstrings. Listen anyway.
This is the second book that I've come across by Gareth Crocker, and as with Finn Jupiter I am amazed by the sheer amount of feeling the author has managed to squeeze in a book of modest length. Clearly this is not a question of size indicating quality, because this book is a real cracker, with a compelling plot, relatable characters, interesting historical details and one of the most amazing animals I've read about to date. Here you can see the horror of war, unvarnished and raw, combined nonetheless with the bonds of fraternal love and solidarity that can be seen in few other places or settings beside. Crocker etches these relationships with convincing craftsmanship, whole never ceasing to remind us of that central, stronger than iron bond of love and fidelity between a man and his dog that see them both through trials of many kinds.
This is an excellent book, with the perfect narrator for the job. It will tug on anyone's heartstrings. Listen anyway.
November 25, 2017
Nothing like a good dog story to punch you right in the damn heart. I read this book in just a couple sittings, all in the same day. It's fast paced, emotional, and very heart-felt. The thought that it's true, that thousands of our soldier dogs were left there to die, makes me so angry I don't have words for it. I wish they all had happier endings.
Edit: I want to add that I considered moving this to 3 stars for one reason. It would have been better if Jack was a "real" Vietnam war dog. Instead of a dog that didn't belong to any unit, magically appeared in the forest, was a medical mystery and miracle, etc. If he was just a dog, a smart and loyal but still JUST, a dog... Would have been a much better story. I never really clicked with them the way I do with most dog stories because Jack was just this deus ex machina that left me feeling "meh".
Edit: I want to add that I considered moving this to 3 stars for one reason. It would have been better if Jack was a "real" Vietnam war dog. Instead of a dog that didn't belong to any unit, magically appeared in the forest, was a medical mystery and miracle, etc. If he was just a dog, a smart and loyal but still JUST, a dog... Would have been a much better story. I never really clicked with them the way I do with most dog stories because Jack was just this deus ex machina that left me feeling "meh".
February 8, 2018
I stopped reading this when I grasped that the American Army would just leave the dogs in Vietnam when the troops were pulled out--and the locals would end up eating the dogs. Finally, I looked up on Google to see what the army did do with the dogs they had trained. Actually, the Army had the dogs shot before flying the troops out. So, I felt I might as well go back and finish the book. Well! It had a happy ending! The dog was NOT eaten by the locals nor shot by the Army (which was supposed to happen), though there was definitely a struggle to get out through Thailand with the dog. Great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2024
The love and loyalty of a dog is like nothing else.
While this story is a work of fiction, it is a tribute to all the dogs, horses and other animals that mankind has taken to war and deserted when the battles were over.
Fletcher Carson has lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash which he himself has survived.
He wants only to die and after a failed suicide attempt, enlists and volunteers for service in the Vietnam war where he hopes that his death will serve some purpose, at least.
Even there, it seems that Death eludes him.
Fletcher finds a reason to live in the shape of a golden labrador named Jack.
This is a tale of love and loss, love and loyalty.
A heart-rending story.
While this story is a work of fiction, it is a tribute to all the dogs, horses and other animals that mankind has taken to war and deserted when the battles were over.
Fletcher Carson has lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash which he himself has survived.
He wants only to die and after a failed suicide attempt, enlists and volunteers for service in the Vietnam war where he hopes that his death will serve some purpose, at least.
Even there, it seems that Death eludes him.
Fletcher finds a reason to live in the shape of a golden labrador named Jack.
This is a tale of love and loss, love and loyalty.
A heart-rending story.
March 27, 2017
Finding Jack by Gareth Crocker. What would you do if you had to leave your best friend behind? He saved your life and his only crime is being four-legged and not human. At the end of the Vietnam War, war dogs were considered expendable and despite many soldiers initiatives and rescue missions efforts, many were left behind. Fletcher Carson was wounded before the war started, having lost his family to a tragic accident. A furry-companion wormed his way into Carson's heart and he refuses to leave Jack behind. Putting his own safety at risk, he's determined to 'find Jack" a way home.
April 3, 2022
Tahle kniha je kombinací citového "dojáku" (jak ji nazval můj manžel) a superhrdinského, vnitřně zlomeného správňáka v uniformě. No kdo by odolal a neuronil slzičku, už jen ty smutný psí oči na obálce. A když pak tuto knihu čtete a tulí se při tom k vám, ten váš psí kámoš, je vymalováno. Nebudu lhát, tenhle příběh je klišé nad klišé a s realitou se ani nepotkal, ale jak už všichni víme, na ty, co nemají srdce z kamene, to prostě funguje.
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