Kate Blunt will do anything for her son, Jasper. Well, almost anything.  Since Jasper has the incurable lung disease cystic fibrosis, Kate’s always told him he couldn’t get a dog, It’s a tough call, but she’s a single mom taking care of a kid who has to fight for every breath he takes. The daily medical routine that keeps Jasper alive is complicated enough without adding a mutt to the mix. Worse still, as the veterinarian in charge of a Cape Cod animal shelter, Kate’s life is wall-to-wall mutts in constant need of forever homes.Kate must live with the fact that every abandoned dog is on a two-week deadline to find a human – and the scarred, mistreated wreck that turns up doesn’t stand a chance. Named Whistler, he’s too old, too ugly. But the dog forms an instantaneous, almost magical connection with Jasper. The dog never makes a sound, let alone a bark, yet he speaks to Jasper in a myriad of mysterious ways, forging an indelible bond with the boy. The clock’s ticking, the dog’s future hangs in the balance, and Jasper would do anything to find him a home; but Whistler has chosen them -- for a reason.And what Whistler inspires in Kate and Jasper may be his most important lesson of all.

    Book Description Publication Date: April 1, 1998 The author of A Fanatic Heart offers a timely novel that looks into the mind and heart of contemporary Ireland as an escaped IRA operative takes refuge in an abandoned house--until the occupant unexpectedly returns home.