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Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 12:06 AM

Carol Recommends -- The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg 

Carol Recommends -- The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg 

Rick Bragg wasn’t looking for a dog and if he were this wasn’t the one he would have picked. So maybe the dog picked him. Bragg, recovering from a variety of health issues including cancer, kidney failure, and bouts of pneumonia, isn’t exactly a picture of health but neither is the wild dog which he spots with a part eating trash in the middle of an Alabama country road. Perhaps the skinny, torn-up, smelly dog saw a man in need of companionship. And instead of running off he took a shine to Bragg and moved in with him, his mom, a couple of other dogs, an assortment of cats, and some jackasses.  

Bragg recounts how this mutt became known as the Speckled Beauty, Speck for short, and takes us through the trials and tribulations of building a relationship built on mishaps, bad judgment, love, and affection. So in the end, they picked each other. 

Bragg is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All Over but the Shoutin’ and Ava’s Man. If you haven’t read him, you should.  He’s a master storyteller who can break your heart and crack you up in the same sentence. 

Carol is the Director of the Churchill County Library. She almost missed this title and is grateful to a loyal library patron for requesting this book. 

 


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Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I knew Sam as a member of our church growing up. He always had a warm smile, a kind word, and a great sense of humor! He will be great missed!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:57 AMComment source: Obituary -- Samuel Bruce WickizerComment author: Mike HinzComment text: Great teacher, great coach, but even a better person!!! Rest in peace Mr. BeachComment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:53 AMComment source: Obituary -- Jack Victor Beach, Jr.Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I had Mrs Hedges for First Grade at Northside Elementary in 1969. I still, to this day, remember her as a wonderful teacher…one of my favorites!!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:29 AMComment source: Obituary - Nancy Marie Hedges C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: What are MFNs and PBMs ?? ............................ From the editor: This is a very good question and we apologize for not catching that wasn't in there. We reached out to the writer/submitter and got this info back...hope it's helpful. PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Managers are pharmacies that are owned by insurance companies. (CVS is one.) They negotiate with drug makers to get reduced pricing for medications, but they historically have not passed along those savings to patients. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf MFN: Most Favored Nation pricing is a policy that means a country agrees to offer the same trade concessions (like tariffs or price reductions) to all member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). When applied to pharmaceuticals, it could disrupt global access, deter innovation, and obscure the deeper systemic issues in American health care. https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/05/22/the-global-risks-of-americas-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy/Comment publication date: 6/23/25, 7:47 AMComment source: L E T T E R TO THE EDITOR
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