"Well the writer certainly knows dogs and humans as well; everything which she wrote about their relations is correct and is fine writing... I advise everybody who loves dogs to read it." Vilmos Csanyi, PhD -- noted canine ethologist and author of "If Dogs Could Talk: Exploring the Canine Mind"
"For those who love animals, it is a small step to believe that dogs are angels with a fur coat. We have all looked into those eyes and felt the sense of connection, telepathy of thoughts, feelings and sensing. Are these creatures talking to us? Do they bring us words of wisdom that we are too busy to hear? Animal lovers don't need research to tell us that dogs feel all the same emotions as humans and have the same physical needs. What would the world be like if we tried to understand their mode of communications rather than demanding they adapt to ours? What if they are further evolved and closer to the Divine Source than humans? This fascinating tale of adventure, dog packs and human survival depends on just this concept. Having spent the last 12 years saving the streets' dogs, I know that we as humans vastly undervalue the gifts of their presence. Although I love all dogs, regardless of shape, size, and breed, I have to say that the mutts rule!"
Randy Grim - founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis, subject of the book "The Man Who Talks To Dogs", author of "Miracle Dog".
"Any one who has ever loved a dog has seen it. You know, that look. That look that makes you wonder for a moment who is in charge here. and who really is the one who knows the truth. You know, the deeper truth of life. Admit it, we have all felt it.
Sometimes we feel guilty because we are so inadequate to measure up to their love. But there is more. Something else just beyond our grasp, that bothers us a little bit, because we feel they know something they are not letting on.
Joy Ward’s Haint exposes these head-cocked wonderings. Our hunches were correct.
We also know instinctively that dogs make us more human. We don’t know how true that is. Haint tells the story of a transforming love that gave form to hope for humanity.
In the words of Haint, a Weimaraner,
“ Our essence changed their matter. Every time a human petted us or sat with us or let us sleep on their bed, we were changing them. We exchanged our cells for theirs. It was slow, achingly slow sometimes as we watched them wage wars against each other, but we persisted. But over the centuries, humans evolved and became more like us.
They learned to love more deeply and they learned how to trust one another. They learned that to achieve anything of size or depth takes sharing and working together. We gave them that. We brought our older, more evolved natures into contact with their newer ones, and they learned and grew.” - Haint p. 92”
Two voices alternate to tell this tale. One, a human with special extrasensory gifts, and the other, an ancient spirit in the form of a dog. Together we see the interplay of the intertwined fates of these two species at the edge of disaster. The earth is dying because of the foolish hubris of man, despite all the efforts of his best friend. Weather has become wild and inhospitable to the species that has abused his environment. The end of the world is imminent. Hot winds tear the air, spawning tornados that destroy buildings as the melting poles raise the sea level. The wells of fresh water are drying up, and skin cancer and other diseases are epidemic.
As the former civilization crumbles, man and dog revert to their earliest symbiosis. New tribal groups emerge called Breeds because they are based on distinct breeds of dog that each includes their partner humans with distinct skills. Some of the best that is dog has strengthened the human Breeds. Territories ruled by Weimaraners, Airedales, Danes and such hold civilization from the brink of anarchy. This is not like “Animal Farm,” it feels believable, maybe even likely. Suspension of belief is not as difficult as one might imagine, in fact, the reader feels drawn in naturally to this world. It explains a lot.
In this crisis time the best and worst of both species appears and becomes prominent, as it does in any time of crisis. It is a question of survival. It is a question of survival for both species whom are bound together inextricably. Maybe the ancient Latin warning, “cave canem” was merely misunderstood." -- Peter Ceren, Memphis, Tennessee
The author has done a wonderful job and with exceptional literary style in bringing a wonderful new understanding between dogs and humans. I look forward to her next work. -- Russell Poole, Dothan, Alabama
Even for dog lovers, the idea of a book written from the POV of a dog is a risky concept. In the hands of a less accomplished writer it could have been flat out sappy. But Haint is flat out wonderful. The story takes place in the future when global warming and warfare have taken their toll on the human race and the relatively small number of human beings who have survived have reorganized themselves around the breeds of their companions, their dogs. OK so far so good, pretty interesting stuff and believable, given current realities. But the most fascinating portions of the book (to me anyway) were the portions told in the voice of a very wise old soul, Haint, a weimeraner. How the dogs directed their own evolution to appeal to the human beings they chose to be their companions and watched the human beings themselves evolve is fascinating and also believable. The author is clearly scientifically knowlegeable as all good writers of science fiction should be. The reader does not so much suspend disbelief as get drawn into some truly fascinating speculation about possibilities that have not actually been ruled out. I am recommending this book to everyone I know who is interested in animals, in the environment, in spirituality and in science (as well as science fiction). One expects a book about dogs and humans to appeal on an emotional level but Haint appeals as well on intellectual and philosophical levels. On a scale of one to five I would like to give this one a six. -- Sandy Sanchez -- author of "Stillbird"
I LOVED IT!!! I've told everyone about it. I shared it with the rescue workers when we were at the Gulf, after Katrina. I'm a metaphysical type myself, and loved the avenues you took with the journey of the entities of the Weims. Really good stuff, and so touching. It's how I feel about my Weims... Thanks so much for enriching our lives with your imagination! --Pam Parrish, Huntsville, AL
It was rather eerie reading the book this week because our temperatures here in Virginia for January have been very unseasonably warm—mostly 40s and 50s, and several days in the 60s. Also, for the last few days it has been very windy, almost continually. Rather a chilling comparison to your story about human self-destruction.
Congratulations! Good story with a good message. But I’m not going to let Baron read it. He already knows that he is superior to everyone else! -- JJ Towler, Virginia
I really enjoyed reading your book "Haint" - I love both Sci-Fi and Weims so it was perfect for me! -- Jennifer Wilkinson
*****
I enjoyed reading Joy's "Haint." As a measure of its worth, it is still haunting me. -- Duncan White, Rhode Island
*****
I LOVED IT!!! I've told everyone about it. I shared it with the rescue workers when we were at the Gulf, after Katrina. I'm a metaphysical type myself, and loved the avenues you took with the journey of the entities of the Weims. Really good stuff, and so touching. It's how I feel about my Weims... Thanks so much for enriching our lives with your imagination! --Pam Parrish, Huntsville, AL
*****
It was rather eerie reading the book this week because our temperatures here in Virginia for January have been very unseasonably warm—mostly 40s and 50s, and several days in the 60s. Also, for the last few days it has been very windy, almost continually. Rather a chilling comparison to your story about human self-destruction.
Congratulations! Good story with a good message. But I’m not going to let Baron read it. He already knows that he is superior to everyone else! -- JJ Towler, Virginia
*****
Just finished Haint, and wanted to say I really enjoyed it. Your world was very believable, and both human and canine characters were engaging. I wanted to like them, and was surprised at how much I found myself identifying with Haint. Thanks for the opportunity to share in your doggy enthusiasms!-- Libby Hall, Virginia
