Robin Hamme, the author, also has a Henderson connection
Henderson resident Pem Pfisterer Clark was the illustrator of a book that just won a 2025 Dog Writers Association of America top prize for the Children Ages 9-12 division.
The book titled, “Spirit, the Dream Chaser: A Dog with a Mission,” also has another Henderson connection. Robin Hamme, the author, worked in human resources for 12 years at Accuride from 1996-2008.
In fact, Hamme said it was a connection from Accuride that allowed her to find Pfisterer Clark. Hamme, who lived in Vanderburgh County while working at Accuride and has lived away from the Tri-State since retiring from Accuride, said that the friend suggested she get in contact with Pfisterer Clark.
After Hamme contacted her, she sent a photo of her dog, Spirit, and asked that Pfisterer Clark send back a pen and ink drawing.
“It was kind of like an interview with a pen,” Pfisterer Clark said. She was hired soon after.
Hamme said that she wrote the book through Spirit’s eyes and voice, but that Pfisterer Clark was the visual storyteller, and on that front, she nailed it.
“She brought Spirit to life,” Hamme said. “Even though she never put her hands on him, she knew him.”
Pfisterer Clark said Hamme was the lead in all the illustrations, giving very specific tasks and directions about what she wanted in the book. She said she had to draw precisely what Hamme asked for.
“She was very much driving the car,” Pfisterer Clark said. “She let me sit in the seat next to her.”
The local artist, business owner, podcaster and writer (she writes a monthly wedding column in the Hendersonian) said she finished her first illustration for the book in November 2024. She finished the last of the 24 illustrations in June 2025.
It was also work that helped Pfisterer Clark get through tough times. In January 2025, Pfisterer Clark’s husband, former Henderson Mayor and longtime Matt’s News Stand owner, Glenn Johnson died. Pfisterer Clark was very frank about how working on the book helped her.
“This is how I survived that,” she said.
The book tells the story through the eyes and words of Spirit, and according to Hamme, it has themes of faith, hope and a lot of courage. Hamme, who has been diagnosed with macular degeneration and orthostatic tremor, which causes her to not be able stand in place, said she was working with a handler to get Spirit ready for a draft test. In these competitions, Bernese Mountain Dogs—which is Spirit’s breed—must prove themselves in basic obedience and going through the course, Hamme said.
An emergency took Spirit’s handler back to her home and out of the competition, leaving Hamme with Spirit. But instead of packing up and heading home, Hamme worked with the judges to come up with accommodations to compete, she said.
That’s when faith, hope and courage came into play. She said the judges were interested to see someone who’s sight impaired hitch a dog. And it was also the last time that Spirit would compete.
“So just give it a shot,” she said. “You got to believe in yourself.”
Hamme said that the competitions for these dogs don’t pit one against another, but instead is a demonstration to determine if the dogs have mastered the required skills. She said dogs either pass or fail, and Spirit passed.
Hamme said that though the book won in the children’s 9-12 age category, it “resonates with people of all ages and people who might need help.” She wanted the story to be motivational and inspirational, especially for those who have disabilities, she said.
Hamme won’t receive any money from her sales. Instead, she is donating her earnings to the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America scholarship program and other charities, especially those focused on young people.
Recently, another piece of tragedy touched the project. Spirit died on Nov. 3. Hamme said she was still so shook up that she couldn’t talk about the dog’s death.
Pfisterer Clark said she mourned from a distance, and is still mourning.
“I never met the dog but I grieved the death of that dog,” she said.
All the work for the book ended with its publication at the end of August 2025, and soon it was entered into the Dog Writers Association of America competition. On Jan. 30, Hamme found out she won. It is the first book she’s published.
“I treasure every minute of it,” she said.
