Rating: *****
Tags: Fiction, General, Body; Mind & Spirit, Family Life, Fiction - General, Humorous, Popular American Fiction, Humorous fiction, Human-Animal Relationships, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Reincarnation, General & Literary Fiction, Mutts (Dogs), Dogs, Lang:en
Summary
This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog’s
search for his purpose over the course of several lives. More
than just another charming dog story,
A Dog’s Purpose touches on the universal quest
for an answer to life's most basic question: Why are we
here? Surprised to find himself reborn as a rambunctious
golden-haired puppy after a tragically short life as a stray
mutt, Bailey’s search for his new life’s meaning
leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan. During
their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be
a good dog. But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of
Bailey’s journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey
wonders—will he ever find his purpose? Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny,
A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and
hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye
commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds
between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully
crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true
friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is
born with a purpose. A tail-wagging three hanky boo-hooer, this delightful
fiction debut by newspaper columnist Cameron (8 Simple Rules
for Marrying My Daughter) proposes that a dog's purpose might
entail being reborn several times. Told in a touching, doggy
first-person, this unabashedly sentimental tale introduces
Toby, who's rescued by a woman without a license for her rescue
operation, so, sadly, Toby ends up euthanized. He's reborn in a
puppy mill and after almost dying while left in a hot car, he's
saved again by a woman, and he becomes Bailey, a beloved golden
retriever, who finds happiness and many adventures. His next
intense incarnation is as Ellie, a female German shepherd, a
heroic search and rescue dog. But the true purpose of this
dog's life doesn't become totally clear until his reincarnation
as Buddy, a black Lab. A book for all age groups who admire
canine courage, Cameron also successfully captures the essence
of a dog's amazing capacity to love and protect. And happily,
unlike Marley, this dog stays around for the long haul.
Like cats, dogs have multiple lives. At least, Bailey, the
canine narrator of this first novel, has more than one.
Bailey’s first life is spent as a feral puppy who learns
to trust humans after living with a loving but slightly dotty
woman who owns too many dogs to suit the county. Bailey is
removed by animal control, and his next life brings him to
young Ethan, the human Bailey will love and search for through
all his subsequent lives, first as part of K-9 Search and
Rescue and then as a dumped and mistreated mutt. Through all
these lives, Bailey contemplates his purpose in a voice full of
curiosity and humor. He ruminates on the usefulness of cats
(“none”) and the strange natures of humans
(“Am I a good dog or a bad dog? They can’t
decide”). This quickly paced, touching novel will charm
all animal fans, especially those who loved Garth Stein’s
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2009) and Vicki Myron’s
Dewey (2008), the best-selling saga of a library cat. --Kaite
Mediatore StoverFrom Publishers Weekly
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