Lucky: A True Story

by David Green, Judy D'Mello, Steve Friedman (foreword)

The Remarkable Journey of a Stray Dog Who Found His Forever Home!

From the dusty streets of a small mountain village in Brazil to a loving home in the United States, A Lucky Story is a heartwarming true tale of courage, friendship, and the unbreakable bond between a stray dog and the human who refused to leave him behind.

Lucky Caminho was just another stray—scrappy, determined, and surviving one day at a time—until the fateful morning he chose to follow an American runner named David on a 140-mile trek along the legendary Caminho da Fé trail. Step after step, mile after mile, the two formed a connection so deep it could not be ignored. By the journey’s end, David knew Lucky was more than a trail companion—he was family.

Bringing Lucky home to the United States was just the beginning. Together with three other adopted dogs, Lucky discovered a world of love, adventure, and endless possibility. Their story is a powerful reminder of the resilience of animals, the transformative power of adoption, and the incredible ways dogs change our lives for the better.

Perfect for readers who love dog rescue stories, inspiring animal memoirs, and true tales of adventure and companionship, A Lucky Story will capture your heart and leave you believing in second chances.

Why readers love this

A true story that combines travel, adventure, and the magic of the human-dog bondInspiring message about adoption, resilience, and the joy of giving animals a forever homeA touching read for dog lovers of all ages—from children to grandparentsDiscover the unforgettable bond between a remarkable dog and his forever family—and let Lucky’s story remind you that every dog deserves a chance to be loved.

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2024

Reviews

[Shannon Frizzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

As my kids would say, if there's a picture of a dog on the cover, the dog is gonna die. Truth. David Green is a wealthy, driven, elite, long distance runner. He is also a bit of a narcissistic, selfish asshole. And that is according to his own wife. He makes his cross country trip with a paid assistant and a dying dog. What really cements his role as an asshole is when he runs one of the last legs of his journey on a state highway (can't do that!) and even when he is asked to get off the highway he refuses. Apparently his run is more important than the impact he might have on others. The people who love him or the potential motorist that could accidentally kill or maim him. And then, he has someone else write his book and his name is in a bigger font! All that said, his grit and determination is admirable. But I still don't want to be his friend.

[Jan Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for all! I could not put it down!

I started this book Wednesday afternoon and finished it Thursday noon, as I could not put it down! David Green told his story magnificently with such compassion and love. And what a story!! I laughed, especially reading the Breaking Bad event in Nebraska, and I certainly did my share of crying. Chef Chris did an amazing job of nurturing David during their journey, plus his poems were a complete bonus to the book. After finishing the book, I hugged my dog, Toots, for a long, long time as David captured the love between a dog and it's owner perfectly.

Kudos to all three, Lucky, Dave and Chris! Kudos to Grammy Clea also. She was one heck of a force for David.
Jan Kruger

[Kristin Daley · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a huge dog lover and runner myself, I was looking forward to reading this book. However, I was very disappointed how much the author alluded to all of the wokeness of 2020. You can absolutely sense he’s a liberal and that’s the last thing I wanted to read about. Other than that I fell in love with Lucky. What an amazing dog!

[Amanda Bennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my truth:
It has never taken me this long to finish any book. However, this one, well, I didn't want it to end. I would put it down and just pretend that I wasn't currently reading any book at all. (Which is never true, I always have a book to finish!)
Lucky: A True Story wasn't just a story. It is about life. A beautiful journey. Empowering. I thank my forever friend, Lisa, for sharing it with me and I thank David Green for sharing it with everyone.

[Linda Krasnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of special interest to me because the author's grandmother, mother, and his mother's partner all lived at Eskaton where I live. I knew them all. It was a heartwarming relationship between the author and his dog and their amazing exploit of running across the U.S.... REALLY!

[Krista Alderdice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written…..cried so many tears. Wish I could have met you Lucky, amazing how animals can bring humans together 🫶🏻I had a chance to share a few miles with David at the VT100 & he told me about his amazing friend, Lucky. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us all.

[Peggy L. Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great book, I couldn't put it down. I love true stories about the bond between a humane and their dog, Deep relationships between characters .

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and interesting story of a unique bond between a man and a stray dog , their journey of running ultra marathons together, and the resilient spirit of each of them as they endured and conquered many difficult days running across America together during covid.Also along the journey was their companion, RV driver, and chef extraordinaire who was there for them every step of the way to fortify them with food, meet them with the RV for evening sleeps, and keep them organized and on track! Definitely need tissues for the read.