Grounds for Hope

<p>At a quiet Brooklyn café watched over by painted dogs and warmed by just the right cup of coffee two teenagers arrive-lost hurting and unsure where to turn next.</p><p></p><p>In this deeply compassionate third entry in the <em>Smiling Dog Café</em> series-fully enjoyable as a standalone-author Neil S. Plakcy shares two powerful novellas about grief resilience and the unexpected ways we find our way home.</p><p></p><p><strong>In <em>Grounds for Hope</em></strong> Miguel is alone on the streets after his father is deported back to their violence-plagued homeland. Cold hungry and nearly out of hope he's led to the café by a mysterious pit bull named Baxter-and taken in by Betty the wise café owner whose coffee and compassion help restore his sense of safety and purpose.</p><p></p><p><strong>In <em>Finding Grace</em></strong> Tanya is reeling after her mother's decision to walk away from their life to find herself. Angry and unmoored Tanya is gently nudged toward the café by Kiyomi a calm three-legged Samoyed-and slowly begins to rediscover her strength her voice and her path forward.</p><p></p><p><strong>This tender volume celebrates how healing begins-in community through ritual and memory and with the quiet guidance of a dog who always knows exactly who needs help next.</strong></p><p></p><p>Come in from the cold. The coffee's brewing and the dogs are waiting.</p>