Some bonds can't be broken
It's September 1997 and Cookie, an inmate in a minimum-security prison, is serving the last four months of his sentence when he signs up for a last-chance rehabilitation program for abandoned dogs.
He's assigned Nigel-whom he renames Good Boy-an anxious soul with a talent for gnawing his way through walls. Cookie has his work cut out preparing him for the upcoming behavioural assessment that will decide his fate: pass, and Good Boy will be up for adoption and the chance of finding a loving home for the first time in his life; fail, and he will be put down. When Cookie realises that Good Boy is almost certain to flunk the test, he must decide how far he'll go in his bid to save him.
As the friendship between them deepens, Cookie is forced to confront the past that shaped him, revealing truths he would rather have left behind.
Good Boy movingly explores the bonds between dogs and their humans, and how hope might move us beyond punishment and towards redemption.
'Good Boy is a deeply moving, tender portrayal of the powerful bond between one man and his dog. It's a story that's stayed with me long after the final pages. I loved it.' Mark Brandi, author of Wimmera and Eden
'A beautiful, heartbreaking story of connection, loss and redemption.' Mark Smith, author of Three Boys Gone
'I fell helplessly under the spell of this deeply affecting story and its vivid exploration of the redemptive power of love and hope. Good Boy haunted me for days.' Lucy Treloar, author of Days of Innocence and Wonder
'Wright compels you gently along the road with Cookie and Good Boy, until you can't turn back or look away. A powerful and deeply empathic tale of love, rupture and reparation.' Myfanwy Jones, author of Cool Water
'Good Boy is a tender, heartfelt story about finding redemption and sacrificing everything for love.' Toni Jordan, author of Tenderfoot
'Good Boy feels destined to become an instant Australian classic. ... Wright has managed to gift us a book that is both a thrilling page turner about a man on the run and a profoundly moving tale of resilience, forgiveness and connection ... I can't wait for readers to find and fall in love with this extraordinary novel.' Melanie Cheng, author of The Burrow
'In this deeply moving novel, a broken man finds the strength to protect another broken creature. Good Boy is a beautifully written paean to the power of trust and redemption.' Paddy O'Reilly, author of Other Houses
About the Author
Michelle Wright's short stories and flash fiction have won and been shortlisted in numerous awards, including The Age Short Story Award, V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize and Bridport Prize. Her short story collection, Fine, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript and published in 2016. Her first novel, Small Acts of Defiance, was published in Australia in 2021 and in the US in 2022. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
