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Jennifer Shenefield is passionate about families, animals, the beauty of their relationships, and the power of hope and strength. It is from those passions that Chance in a Lifetime was born. Inspired by witnessing the incredible bond between a service dog and his person, Jennifer knew in that moment that the touching story of this beautiful bond needed to be told. And who better to tell it than a furry, warm-hearted hero? With Chance's story, Jennifer hopes to inspire and warm the hearts of readers everywhere and show them some light through struggle, no matter what paths they may walk in life.
Jennifer holds an MFA in Creative Writing, and has a deep love for writing and reading across multiple genres. Chance in a Lifetime is Jennifer’s first novel, and a celebration of her love for animals, people, and the beautiful relationships between them. She also deeply enjoys teaching writing and literature in professional, educational, and creative settings. Currently, Jennifer is working on multiple upcoming projects, which include a short-story collection, creative nonfiction works, a stage play, and a screenplay. Ms. Shenefield lives in San Diego, California with her three daughters – Autumn, Avalon, and Athena – who all share her love for animals, creativity, writing, and reading. They are all owned by a Bernese Mountain Dog named Ragnar and Aurora the Siamese cat. Jennifer loves to engage with readers and share the beauty and power of the written word!
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
From the time he was a puppy, Chance demonstrated an exemplary ability to understand and communicate with humans. Not many dogs, even those well trained, have such an intense connection of comprehension. Chance was born to be a hero. He began his training as a guide dog and excelled at everything except getting in and out of cars. Something about vehicles frightened him. It was a challenge he had to overcome. And he did. Good thing, since braving the scary, noisy beast of metal would one day make him every inch the hero he already was.
Jennifer Shenefield’s novel, Chance in a Lifetime, is a compassionate, heartwarming story about a very intelligent guide dog. Trained to be a human’s set of eyes, Chance excels at all he’s tasked to do, from sorting the laundry to finding lost dolls. His goal is to keep his humans happy and safe. His reward is a powerful feeling of belonging, a feeling of being loved. And he is. The story is told in the first-person from Chance’s point of view. It begins with Chance as a young puppy and progresses through his training, his first human, and the sorrow of loss before he is connected with another human, this time a young boy, Ethan.
The character of the dog is well developed and the reader truly senses Chance’s emotions at every stage of his life. The human characters are also well developed and believable. The author uses the dog’s power of perception to provide a detailed description of each setting, so the reader feels completely involved with the unfolding narrative. There is a lot of love in this story and a lot of learning for Chance, his humans, and the readers who follow his story. A lovely story from beginning to end. The reader will laugh and cry and cheer Chance along. Very uplifting.
