This page-turning family drama, set in contemporary Chicago, centers on Dirk, a motherless young man desperate for his self-centered father's approval. A rescued pit bull alters their lives irrevocably, embroiling them in the terrible misuses to which the breed is prey. As Dirk's father grows increasingly entangled in criminal activity, Dirk must confront a series of legal and moral crises, and determine for himself what it truly means to be a man. "Calcagno's troubling, evocative, socially-conscious, powerful little novel, Love Like a Dog, shocks to remind that sometimes from the small dark corners of humanity rise some of the most luminous of bestial graces" - H. G. Carrillo, author of Losing My Espanish. "This is a perfect book about dogs, people and the incredible relationships they develop. Love Like a Dog depicts human and animal strength, weakness, loyalty, love, trust - all surrounding the beautiful and much misunderstood pit bull terrier. It is no wonder people who own pit bulls fall in love with the breed forever." - Wendy DeCarlo Young, Owner, DogObedience Group, LLC, voted Best Trainer, year after year, by the readers of ChicagolandTails