For Luis Carlos Montalvan, Until Tuesday is the story of how a service dog led him through the darkest days following his return from service in the United States Army in Iraq. For the listener, his narration of Until Tuesday offers the rare experience of hearing a soldier discuss his journey of coming home from war. To hear Montalvan narrate his own story of transition from constant emotional and physical pain to successfully integrating back into his “normal” life at home is riveting and unforgettable.

Montalvan is a returning veteran whose homecoming and assimilation back into society has proven to be one of the greatest struggles of his life. After years of daily experience with horrifying combat, a mere trip to the grocery store seems like an insurmountable task. Enter Tuesday — a service dog trained to help veterans and the disabled put the pieces of their lives back together. Like Montalvan, Tuesday’s unethical training and serial abandonment suggest that he was treated as a soldier, too. Montalvan and Tuesday, wounded veteran and “broken” service dog, together find a way to bring each other back to life, to cope with the significant psychological damage that comes with post-traumatic stress. Montalvan’s erudite storytelling offers a deep exploration of what service dogs do for the disabled and of what it’s like for a soldier to come home from the war in Iraq. The profound impact of this service dog pervades the narration; Montalvan’s tone demonstrates his unwavering gratitude to Tuesday.

While Until Tuesday tells the story of a soldier’s experiences in Iraq, Montalvan does so without straying into too many political tangents. However, he does make clear his advocacy for veterans and disabled people, making a case for government-funded support for returning veterans and those who suffer from PTSD. Until Tuesday is an absorbing, accessible story of a war veteran’s struggles upon returning home and the therapeutic benefits of companionship from man’s best friend. —Suzanne Day