The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog is, on the surface, a hard book to read because of the subject matter. It’s a book about abused and neglected children. I some ways it is a book about the very worst that humanity might do to its young. And yet, when we see great tragedy we also find tremendous goodness. And this is a book about goodness.
Dr Bruce Perry shares a series of stories dealing with diverse abuse and neglect of children (from the David Koresh, Waco TX atrocity to a boy who was literally raised as a dog; from challenging tales of sexual abuse to stunning neglect by well-meaning but uninformed adults, and more) in a way that conveys tremendous compassion and kindness for the children, and in some cases even those who have caused them harm. His insights are simple but elegant. His review of the science and the way it is integrated into his storytelling is wonderfully accessible. As someone who has little capacity for hearing horrible stories of damaged lives because it makes me so sad, he has been sensitive and gentle. I think this is the best book I’ve read this year. I loved it.
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