Tales of Al: The Water Rescue Dog (An Evening with Author Lynne Cox)

World-renowned swimmer and author of “Swimming to Antarctica,” Lynne Cox, will be at The Book Stall (811 Elm St in Winnetka) on Monday, June 27th at 6:30 PM, to discuss her new book “Tales of Al: The Water Rescue Dog.” Tales of Al chronicles the life of an ungainly, unruly, irresistible Newfoundland puppy who grows up to become a daring rescue dog and super athlete – part of Italy’s elite, highly specialized corps of water rescue dogs who swoop out of helicopters and save lives. This is a ticketed event. All tickets include a copy of the book. One person/one book tickets are available, as well as two people/one book tickets. Twenty percent of all ticket sales will go to Community Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.™). Visit The Book Stall website for tickets and more information.

About the Book: Lynne Cox, an internationally-famous swimmer, has crossed many of the world’s most difficult waterways without a wet suit and understands the rigorous training it takes to become an elite athlete. When she saw a video of a Newfoundland dog leaping from an airborne helicopter into the Italian waters to save someone from drowning, Lynne was transfixed and captivated by the magnificence, physicality, and daring of the dog. On Italy’s picturesque Lake Idroscalo, hundreds of dogs have been trained at the famed Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs (SICS) for sea, air, and land rescue and it is here where Lynne meets the lovable, yet slightly untrainable, Newfoundland puppy, Al. Lynne shares her tale of witnessing the heartaches and triumphs of Al’s journey to becoming an expertly trained and highly specialized water rescue dog, from the trainer’s dreams, expectations, disappointments, and visions, to Al’s inspirational fight, striving with all her canine might, to reach her full potential.

About the Author: Lynne Cox was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Los Alamitos, California. By 17, she had already swum the English Channel twice. She’s also swam in water that’s 32 degrees, escaped shark attacks, and saved whales. Lynne has swum the Nile, the Bering Strait, the Cape of Good Hope. Throughout her lifetime, she’s logged nearly 55,000 miles in the water. She set open-water swimming records all over the world, swimming without a wet suit. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Her articles have appeared in many publications, among them The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Cox lives in Long Beach, California.

About Community Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.™): C.A.R.E.™: is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization with a mission to serve the communities of Chicago’s North Shore by fostering and supporting healthy, positive relationships between people and companion animals. C.A.R.E. rehomes companion pets into safe, healthy, lifelong homes; serves as an educational and counseling resource; and works to reduce pet overpopulation.