The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story

The Leading Lady was originally published in hardcover in 1991 and on abridged audio cassette (those were the days!) in 1992. The star of The Leading Lady - as Betty and Tom would both attest - is Dinah, Tom Sullivan's guide dog and best friend for nine years. A world-class guide dog, Dinah gave Tom, who has been blind since soon after birth, his first real taste of independence. The Leading Lady is the story of how Dinah came into Tom's life, the hard work they both put in to become a team, and the adventures that cemented the bond between them. It's also the story of how Betty White - a renowned and extremely vocal activist on behalf of animal rights, and a dear life-long friend of Tom's - took Dinah in and cared for her when she became too old to care for Tom herself. In alternating chapters written by Betty and Tom, stories about Dinah's early and later years, her extensive and demanding travels with Tom for TV appearances, golf tournaments (yes, Tom plays golf), and concerts, and her move into Betty's pet-filled household abound.