The story of how Chancer helped the Winokurs and their son heal and grow closer is poignant and heartwarming. But what makes the book especially important is the frank way the author illuminates an underdiscussed disorder that affects as many as one child in twenty in the United States. An honest, informative, and uplifting memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This unique and candid memoir will be a helpful contribution.” —Library Journal
“This is a heartwarming story of a childless couple who adopted two babies from Russia…Along the way, the story also shines a light on FAS, an under-discussed disorder. This new memoir is both illuminating and poignant.” —The Bark
“What a story! What a dog! Winokur’s memoir is a testament to the power of love, family, and friendship.” —Jennifer S. Holland, author of the New York Times bestselling series Unlikely Friendships
“Here, in a courageous and tenderly told mother’s memoir, is the inside story of parents who brought home their darling dream child from a Russian orphanage. In time—though still their precious, cherished child—the boy exhibited severe and irreversible cognitive and behavioral disabilities. In despair, in free fall, the parents grabbed for a lifeline. When the lifeline turned out to be attached to a shaggy four-legged big-hearted golden retriever, their life took an irreversible turn for the better.” —Melissa Fay Greene, author of The Underdogs: Children, Dogs, and the Power of Unconditional Love
“Chancer is a moving and elegantly written memoir about marriage, motherhood, and a faithful dog who saves the day. Winokur has an elegant voice, and her humor fills even the most harrowing moments with hope. While this is a very personal tale, anyone who has ever been a parent, a partner, or a dog lover will relate.” —Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, author of Devoted and Loyal
“Just as dogs lead soldiers safely across bomb-laden battlegrounds, the stalwart and brave Chancer leads his boy through daunting battles with fetal alcohol syndrome—saving not just the boy, but his entire family. An absorbing, hopeful memoir full of unlikely heroes.” —Maria Goodavage, author of New York Times bestsellers Soldier Dogs, Top Dog, and Secret Service Dogs
“As the partner of a golden retriever guide dog, I was intrigued with the thought that a golden could effectively work with a boy born with fetal alcohol syndrome. The book, Chancer, did not disappoint. Donnie Winokur writes from the heart about her family’s struggle to address their son’s lifelong diagnosis and how Chancer, a well-trained, happy-go-lucky service dog lends his talents to calm their son and bring comfort to the whole family. It’s an honest view of disability, and the magic of a dog’s warmth and attention. MUST READ.” —Toni Eames MS, author of Partners in Independence: A Success Story of Dogs and the Disabled
09/01/2017
Winokur writes of adopting two infants from Russia: a boy, Iyal, and a girl, Morasha, each from a different orphanage. Their first two years are wonderful, but then Iyal begins to have explosive tantrums and wakes up every night in a rage. After being taken to different specialists, Iyal is diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)—his brain and central nervous had been irreversibly damaged in utero. At age nine, Iyal could only speak in baby talk and required a full-time aide at school, and his parents' nonstop attention at home. Ultimately, Winokur learns of 4 Paws for Ability, a nonprofit service dog agency in Ohio that places dogs with autistic children. Iyal is eventually matched with Chancer, a large golden retriever who had been neglected by previous owners. Almost immediately, Chancer learns to sense when Iyal might be having a tantrum, then "nuzzles" and calms the boy. While Chancer cannot cure Iyal, his presence mitigates the disability and provides unconditional love. VERDICT With few personal narratives about children with FAS, this unique and candid memoir will be a helpful contribution.—Eva Lautemann, Gwinnett Cty. P.L., GA
2017-06-05
A journalist and children's book author tells the story of the golden retriever that changed her disabled son's life.Shortly after they married in the late 1990s, Winokur (Nuzzle: Love Between a Boy and His Service Dog, 2011, etc.) and her husband, Harvey, realized they could not have children. Unwilling to wait for an American-born child, they adopted two infants from Russia, a girl and a boy they named Morasha and Iyal. For the first year, they experienced "a parenting honeymoon." Then Winokur began to notice that Iyal's development lagged behind his sister's. At first she thought he had ADD or ADHD, but Iyal's frenzied behavior, along with the visible disconnect "between his brain and sensory receptors," suggested a far more serious problem. A doctor finally diagnosed him with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. As the boy grew older, his behaviors became increasingly extreme. Never knowing when Iyal would turn into "a Mini-Me of the Incredible Hulk" and outraged at the many ways other children tried to abuse him, Winokur struggled with anxiety and depression while her marriage crumbled around her. "Betting on hope," she sought help from 4 Paws, a service that trains dogs to assist special needs children. The organization sent the family a young golden retriever named Chancer. Harvey was deeply skeptical; despite a loving personality, Chancer made mistakes, including chewing up a TV remote control and Harvey's cellphone. Yet from the moment Chancer met Iyal, the dog's gentle presence immediately helped the boy begin to find calm from the "chemical storm[s]" that caused him to hallucinate and suffer from extreme sensitivity to smells and touch. The story of how Chancer helped the Winokurs and their son heal and grow closer is poignant and heartwarming. But what makes the book especially important is the frank way the author illuminates an underdiscussed disorder that affects as many as one child in 20 in the United States. An honest, informative, and uplifting memoir.
