Through Their Eyes:
Reflections on joy, loss, and learning
Told with humor and honest emotion, Through Their Eyes is a memoir of overriding joy, inevitable heartbreak, self-discovery, and simple wisdom taught without words.
I always knew dogs would be part of my life; I had no idea they would be my life. More than loyal friends and steadfast companions, dogs became my greatest teachers, sharing through their eyes the wisdom in their hearts.
Nearly all have been rescues—mostly mutts, a few purebreds, some young and some near the end of life—but each had something to give. Their lessons allowed me to confront personal failures and professional challenges, but could they ultimately help me conquer my lifelong self-doubt?
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Available in paperback and ebook from
For readers who loved
Stay: my forever friendship with an aging dog, by Lisa Rimmert
The Dog Lived (and so will I), and other books by Teresa J. Rhyne
A Dog’s Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron
Walks with Sam, by David W. Berner
“Nancy’s love for animals is clear on every page of this book. In the stories of her many dogs over the years, she shares an unflinching look at the extraordinary and heartbreaking effects of loving—and losing—a pet. But the overall message is clear: The benefits outweigh the pain. As it turned out, it was a message I needed to hear. Soon after finishing ‘Through Their Eyes,’ I adopted two kittens. My beloved cat had died unexpected a year prior, and I’d been afraid to go down that road again. Nancy’s story helped confirm that I was ready to open my heart again—and I’m so glad I did.”
Kristin D. Zeit, Editor/Writer/Content Marketer
"Dogs move in and out of our lives more quickly than we’d like, and yet their legacies carry on long after they're gone. In ‘Through Their Eyes,’ author Nancy Collander strikes the perfect balance between joy and loss, memory and growth, as she explores the everyday antics and extraordinary magic of life with canine companions. Readers will connect with each heartfelt story, perhaps finding themselves with a favorite pup — no, two — no, all of them!"
Lisa Rimmert, award-winning author of Stay: my forever friendship with an aging dog
Praise for Through Their Eyes
In her beautiful and tender book, Nancy walks the reader through a journey of animal companionship that proves how these relationships can shape, acknowledge, and enrich a life. Each dog contributes in its own way to Nancy’s emotional life … and gives her a kind of peace that only comes through the eyes of a dog.
But there is also sadness. The kind that is delivered only when our companions are no longer with us. Yet, in that sadness, Nancy also finds strength and a keen understanding of life’s ultimate joy. Even in loss, we are energized by the embers of a life left behind…. Dogs, in their own ways, teach us this lesson.
Through Their Eyes is also wonderfully illustrated and includes endearing photos, adding not only to its personal, diary-like flavor, but giving the work a kind of whimsical reverence.
There’s much to like here, and much that the reader will find relevant to any dog owner’s story.
David W. Berner, author of The Islander and founder of The Writer Shed