Bring Jade Home, The True Story of a Dog Lost in Yellowstone Park

by Michelle Caffrey

Nonfiction, 216 pages

Copyright, 2018 by Farcountry Press, Helena, Montana

Reviewed by Kerri Lukasavitz, www.kerrilukasavitz.com

“I have to find my pup!” Imagine not only sustaining severe injuries and surviving a horrible crash with a pickup truck inside Yellowstone National Park on your way home from a vacation, but to also be awakened from a cell phone call in the hospital after 11:00 that night from the park ranger telling you your beloved dog—a dog that had mended your broken heart—bolted out of its broken plastic crate from the back of your destroyed SUV and then disappeared into the wilderness, refusing to come when called as the rangers tried to retrieve and care for your pair of Aussie Shepherds, Jade and Laila, for the night while you received treatment from your injuries. Imagine knowing that your beloved Jade is only 15 months old—too young to survive in the woods. Imagine being aware of the imminent dangers that could easily kill Jade the longer she’s lost—ferocious bears, coyotes, starvation. Imagine the mounting despair as each day passes and she’s still missing.

Michelle Caffrey’s Bring Jade Home, The True Story of a Dog Lost in Yellowstone is an incredible tale of owners Laura and David’s heartbreaking journey to try and find their Aussie Shepherd pup, Jade, who is lost and alone in a wild environment she’s never encountered before. Wonderfully written, Caffrey’s words will immediately capture your attention and have you turning pages until the end to discover Jade's fate. Ride along on the emotional roller coaster with Laura and David as they skyrocket with hope one minute when someone calls to say they saw Jade in Yellowstone Park and then plunge into despair when it’s a false report. Join forces as “Team Jade” is created by a few strangers connected to Yellowstone Park and are experienced in rescue missions along with their cast of volunteers who are all determined to work together to find Jade and bring her home before the odds of her surviving in the wilderness stack up against her. The constant question that lingers in the forefront of everyone’s minds is: will they find her in time? It also gives an in-depth look into the natural ecosystems of Yellowstone Park and how efforts are being made to keep the wildlife and visitors safe from each other. A wonderful book for dog, animal, and nature lovers. Recommended for young adult and adult readers.

Reviewer Kerri Lukasavitz has a BFA from MIAD and an MA in English from Mount Mary College. She is the 2019 Hal Prize winner for Nonfiction; a 2020 recipient for a Write On, Door County residency; her debut middle-grade novel, Mystery Horse at Oak Lane Stable, was a 2018 Royal Dragonfly Book Award winner; and was published in Peninsula Pulse and Arches.