Chancer: How One Good Boy Saved Another - Softcover

Donnie Kanter Winokur is a writer, speaker, and human rights advocate. A native of New Jersey, she studied theatre at Catholic University and earned a degree in psychology from Emory University in Atlanta. After honing her skills writing and producing advertising campaigns for clients throughout the Southeast, she created award-winning projects for Discovery, the Smithsonian Institute, and Broderbund/Random House.

Donnie has authored two award-winning children’s books and contributed to national and international magazines and journals, including Guideposts and Adoption Today; her journey was captured in India’s Reader’s Digest and Australia’s Marie Claire. In 2012, Donnie’s story was featured in “Wonder Dog” for the New York Times Magazine.

Donnie and her husband, Harvey, the founding rabbi of a reform synagogue, live north of Atlanta with their son, Iyal, and daughter, Morasha.

“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