The Speckled Beauty

A Dog and His People

By: Rick Bragg

Narrated by: Rick Bragg

New York Times Best Seller

From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All Over but the Shoutin', the warmhearted and hilarious story of how his life was transformed by his love for a poorly behaved, half-blind stray dog.

Speck is not a good boy. He is a terrible boy, a defiant, self-destructive, often malodorous boy, a grave robber and screen door moocher who spends his days playing chicken with the Fed Ex man, picking fights with thousand-pound livestock, and rolling in donkey manure, and his nights howling at the moon. He has been that way since the moment he appeared on the ridgeline behind Rick Bragg's house, a starved and half-dead creature, 76 pounds of wet hair and poor decisions.

Speck arrived in Rick's life at a moment of looming uncertainty. A cancer diagnosis, chemo, kidney failure, and recurring pneumonia had left Rick lethargic and melancholy. Speck helped, and he is helping, still, when he is not peeing on the rose of Sharon. Written with Bragg's inimitable blend of tenderness and sorrow, humor and grit, The Speckled Beauty captures the extraordinary, sustaining devotion between two damaged creatures who need each other to heal.

©2021 Rick Bragg (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

ONE OF GARDEN & GUN'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

“This is a witty, moving love letter to one extraordinary dog—and an ode to the transformative powers of his kind.” —People Magazine [Book of the Week]

“This moving book is a literary ode to canine love.” —The Washington Post

“Bragg has done it again, focusing his lyrical prose on one aspect of his Southern roots while managing to embrace much larger terrain in the process . . . [The Speckled Beauty] delights the senses and is as honest as the day is long.” —David Holahan, USA Today

Touching, memorable memoir

Seldom does a book evoke such powerful emotions as this one. The reading by the author brought a level of reality to the story. The writing was so simple and yet so powerful. I laughed, cried, wondered, visualized, heard…thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

A true story from Rick Bragg

The speckled Beauty is the story of Rick Bragg's "terrible dog", that wasn't so terrible after all. That doesn't mean the dog, Spek, has changed at all. Only that the people around him have excepted his peculiar ways.
I throughly enjoyed reading and listening to "the Speckled Beauty". it remind me of several dogs we have adopted from an animal shelter, picked up off the road, or off an island on our local lake where some half-wit left him to die one way or another.
"The Speckled Beauty" is also a story of family in the backwoods of Alabama, North East of Birmingham. Where country life can be amazing and old country at the same time.
I high recommend this book.

Outstanding Story for all dog people!

I am a 75-year-old dog person who firmly believes that dogs do have souls. I think this despite what many religious people who are much more knowledgeable than me have to say about that. I believe God put dogs on this earth for needy people! People like me who need and appreciate unconditional love from an animal, one who will listen to their thoughts, complaints, and insecurities and never complain about it. Godspeed to all the wonderful dogs out there, especially those with no people or homes.

The author does an exceptional job of narrating the book.

Rick Bragg is a Southern treasure. He writes eloquently about every day things and makes them sound noble. He can make me laugh out loud and cry in the same paragraph.

Fall in love with the Alabama culture!

Rick has let world see the beauty of the southern culture in its slow, caring way! I laughed at this dog till the tears ran!

What a wonderful word man!

I loved this writing about Ricks terrible dog! The way Mr Bragg tells a story warms my heart! I can hear him reading his story and say he talks like me!! Thank you Rick Bragg

A memoir wrapped up in a story

A special book written and read by the author. Such gentle wisdom and subtle humor.

As good as All Over but the Shouting

So darn good - it’s one of those that I kept looking for reasons to have my earbuds in! Just phenomenal- and his voice narrating- icing on the cake
Excellent!

Aussie lovers book

I love this book. I have Aussies, I can see them acting and thinking the way Spec does! I laughed out loud several times and I cried several times. Heart warming for a dog lover!

Fabulous

A funny, sad, hilarious, heartbreaking everything you could ever want in a story kind of book.