But at a rest stop, her ride drives off, unknowingly taking Mack with him. Her companion on the journey is Mack, a sheepdog trained to dance. When Justine learns that her father is dying, she hitches a cross-country ride with a long-haul trucker from Seattle to Massachusetts, hoping for a resolution to their relationship. She left home young, got in and out of an early marriage, and had a son who, unhappy with her restless life, went to live with his father. Justine Meade has spent most of her 43 years on the move. But to whom does the little dog who danced belong? Whether it's as Justine's partner, or just the ebb and flow of a family's rhythms, it's as though the little Shetland Sheepdog was born to bring people together.Įveryone needs Mack. When they find a little black and gray dog by the side of the road, they take him in.įiercely loyal, acutely perceptive and guided by a herd dog's instinct, Mack has a way of bringing out the best in his humans. Dancing around each other, and their unspeakable heartbreak, unable to bridge the chasm left between them. Seven years after their daughter was taken from them, they're living separate lives together. The one bright spot in her loss-filled life, the partner she could always count on, was Mack, her grey and black Sheltie – that is, until she is summoned back to her childhood home after more than twenty years away.Įd and Alice Parmalee are mourning a loss of their own. If there's been a theme in Justine Meade's life, it's loss. 'Multiple hankies, dog lovers…this is an emotional read.' – Library Journal

The dog who danced a novel susan wilson