By W. Bruce Cameron
I’ve always heard authors should not write using a dog’s point of view, but Bruce Cameron catches Bella’s thoughts perfectly
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in A Dog’s Way Home . He did so in his bestseller A Dog’s Purpose, and he did it again here – better in my opinion.
The book jacket and the title suggest a version of The Incredible Journey (a 1960s novel and Disney film about three pets traveling hundreds of miles in search of their owners), but A Dog’s way Home is much different.
Lucas is a young man who finds a mixed breed puppy living underneath an abandoned house with many cats. Without his landlord’s permission, he decides to keep the puppy and names her Bella. She’s a very smart dog and learns such tricks as “No Barks” and “Go Home,” as Lucas tries to evade the landlord and the local dog-catcher, who decides Bella is a pit bull mix and illegal within the Denver city limits.
Bella develops the ability to sense when people are ill and in need of comfort. She can also notice the changes in a person prior to an epileptic seizure. With these traits, Lucas tries to use Bella as an emotional support dog at the VA hospital where he works and to evade the no dogs policy in his lease. As an uncertified dog, Bella receives minimal protection and the anti-pit bull dog-catcher are spying on her every move on public property.
As Lucas tries to find a place to live outside of Denver, he finds a temporary home for Bella to protect her from the Denver dog-catcher. At the temporary home, Bella bolts as the confused dog tries to find “her person,” Lucas. This begins Bella’s journey with multiple temporary owners and her relationship with Big Kitten, a cougar.
A Dog’s Way Home is an easy and compelling read. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
Have you read any good dog books lately?
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This sounds the best read for a dog lover, and I bet there were a few nervous moments in this dog at risk story!
Thanks for a great review!
This sounds like a great book! I loved the movie “A Dog’s Purpose,” so can’t wait to check out this book.
Thanks for the review.
I am always looking for new books to read. Thank you for the review!
This sounds like a great book and I’ll definitely put it on my reading list. Many authors have written successful books from an animal’s point of view – I’m looking forward to reading this one.
I love your short yet thorough review! I have all of Bruce Cameron’s but just haven’t gotten around to reading them yet. I actually just started Patricia McConnell’s Education of Will.
The Education of Will is on my wish list!
A Dog’s Way Home sounds like the sort of uplifting reading I could use these days. You don’t often read about a true story that’s this rewarding and positive, but add in a handsome dog and you can be sure I’ll read it!
It’s a novel, not a true story, although it would be nice if it was! But then the dog couldn’t tell the story!
This definitely seem heart warming! Always on the look out for dog books. 🙂 thank you for sharing!