Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story |  | Author: Monica Holloway
Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
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Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 4753
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.1
ISBN: 1416595031
Dewey Decimal Number: 618.92858820092
EAN: 9781416595038
ASIN: 1416595031
Publication Date: October 6, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In this exceptionally touching memoir, critically acclaimed author Monica Holloway shares the extraordinary, deeply moving story of Cowboy, the golden retriever puppy who changed her son's life.The day Monica learns that her lovable, brilliant three-year-old son, Wills, has autism spectrum disorder, she takes him to buy an aquarium. It's the first in a string of impulsive trips to the pet store to buy animals as a distraction from the uncontrollable, crushing reality of Wills's diagnosis. But while Wills diligently tends to the growing menagerie, what he really wants is a puppy. And one Christmas, when Wills is six, Cowboy Carol Lawrence joins their family. Like all dynamic duos, Cowboy and Wills complement each other perfectly. Wills is cautious, fastidious, and irresistibly tenderhearted. Cowboy, a rambunctious golden retriever, is overeager, affectionate, and impulsive. And from the moment Cowboy enters their lives, Monica sees her son step a little farther into the world. Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his classmates in kindergarten is sharing stories of his new "sister" Cowboy during morning circle. Children crowd around them at the park, and instead of running away, Wills, holding Cowboy's leash in his sweaty fist, proudly answers all of their questions. With Cowboy, he finds the courage to invite kids over for playdates, overcomes his debilitating fear of water to swim along beside her in the family pool, and, after years of gentle coaxing, Wills finally sleeps in his own bed with Cowboy's paws draped across his small chest. Through it all, Cowboy is there, dragging him toward other children, giving him the confidence to try new things and the courage to face his worst fears. And when Cowboy turns out to need her new family as much as they need her, they discover just how much she has taught them -- about devotion, about loyalty, and about never giving up. Sometimes it's what you don't know to hope for that saves you. For Monica, her husband, Michael, and their son, Wills, salvation came in the form of a puppy with pale blond fur, chocolate brown eyes, a fondness for chewing the crotch out of underpants, and a limitless capacity for love.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
 a beautiful family memoir-- life with a special son and his very special dog November 19, 2009
N. Ferguson (Ohio)
A touching, funny, and very honest mother's memoir about the first few years with her son who has autism.
I am a golden retriever owner, so chose "Cowboy and Wills" because it explores the relationship between Wills (the little boy) and Cowboy (his female :) golden retriever). But what I ended up loving about this book was the way the author helped me to understand what it would be like to raise a little boy with autism. She describes her challenges and how she coped very vividly, with humor and openness.
A heart-warming, inviting, and very touching story of family love.
 Atrocious writing November 19, 2009
Mollidy (Fargo, ND)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The writing in this book is atrocious. The author spends too much time talking about her own problems and goes off on a few tangents before returning to Wills and his story. She uses way too many horrible similes. ("...he didn't walk until he was sixteen months old, but when he did, he just got up and strolled into the kitchen as if he's just remembered it was happy hour and the glasses needed to be chilled.") And that was just the first chapter. I could not continue reading. I agree with the doctor who wrote the 1-star review; the writing is like a journal or rough draft and is clearly unprofessional. That reviewer made several other excellent points as well. Look elsewhere for a heartwarming "boy and his dog" story.
Great book. Monica makes you laugh, and cry...sometimes on the same page. November 11, 2009
Steve Foreaker (Seattle, WA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My wife is a big time reader, I'm not. It's not often I find a book that I just soak into, but despite being a full time student, I finished this book in effectively several hours over two days. For me, that's like speed reading!
I'm currently studying Occupational Therapy, and ASD is being taught to us this quarter. We also have five dogs, and I just did a report on how animals make our lives healthier (Google the Delta Society for more on this). So this was a very timely book.
I can't believe all that this family went through in such a short amount of time. The gifts, the silver linings, and the loss and pain touched both my wife and I tremendously. Truly, we wish our best to Monica and her family, especially Wills. Great book!
Three Cheers for "Cowboy and Wills" October 29, 2009
Kathleen Byrne (Montclair, NJ)
I am recommending this book to my book club. It is very touching and heartwarming.I thoroughly enjoyed it.
 Captures What It's Like to Have a "High-Needs" Child, but Feels Narcissistic October 27, 2009
Miss Darcy (New England)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book will appeal to two main types of readers: (1) those with a high-needs (especially autistic) child; (2) those who like stories about animals that rescue people in one way or another. This fits both categories.
I'm giving it three stars because on the plus side, I think the author really captures what it's like to have a high-needs child. My daughter was very sensitive (though not to this extreme) at this age, and when the author describes sitting next to Wills in the closet because he can't face a visitor, I felt I was right there with her. (My daughter used to tuck her head into her shoulder when we passed anyone on the street.) I could feel the chill in her heart.
I'm *not* giving it more stars, because, at the same time, I think the points made by the one-star reviewer are pretty valid. (Take a look.) The author does spend a huge amount of money they don't really seem to have. (At least, that's how she keeps presenting it. She seems to tell us that her credit card is full again and again---yet this doesn't stop her from making purchases and paying for special therapists and consultants and pet store animals over and over.) Also, she spends a lot of time talking about her own OCD, which gets repetitive since she doesn't seem to be seeking any treatment herself (although it is touching when Wills seems to understand that it is compulsive for her to pick at the dog). Overall, there's something a bit grating about these "Our child was rejected from 12 tony kindergartens" books. MOTHER ON FIRE by Sandra Tsing Loh is actually centered around this idea, without the high-needs child or the winsome dog, and I thought it was a walking disaster. (However, if the subject of California Living appeals, check it out.)
So, bottom line: could it be better? Yes; the mother's whining will probably drive you crazy (along with her spending---which she admits, particularly with the fishtank world, is a way for her to feel more in control) . She also complains about her husband's absence a lot, while managing to fit in just how much he adores her. Still, if you are looking for someone to capture in words what it feels like to have a high-needs child and to share how fear becomes a lodger in your heart, you'll find it here.
Incidentally, at the same time I received this, I also read another dog-based memoir, Come Back, Como. The family in that book also live in California and, like Cowboy & Wills it includes the writer's reactions, but the similarity seems to stop there. Come Back, Como is written by the father, who is a journalist, and while the challenges to the family are smaller, the down-to-earth tone, writing style, and humor made it a lot more fun to read.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
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