"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Review: A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron


What if our pets never died but were just reincarnated over and over again? What if each pet had a purpose and they could remember information from previous lives that they could use and reuse in their next lives? Would this information change the way you viewed and interacted with your pets? Would you try harder to understand and communicate with this pet?
"A Dog’s Purpose tells the story of a dog who finds himself reincarnated and decides there must be a reason, a purpose he must fulfill, and until he does so, he’ll continue to be reborn. The story is narrated by Bailey, a wise and funny dog who is very much...a dog."
This book is for anyone who considers themselves a dog lover, even a pet lover. Bailey, our protagonist dog and narrator, realizes as he goes through several incarnations that he has a purpose and he must attempt to fulfill his purpose even in the bleakest of circumstances. When Bailey is paired with Ethan, his boy, he knows that his purpose is to love and protect and in the end, to save Ethan.

Recommended by my daughter who bought the book with her own money, this story just touched my heart and it has made me view our dog, Muffy, differently.  I keep asking Muffy what she thinks her purpose is. I'm pretty sure that she thinks she has a few very important jobs: to clean our dinner plates, to bark at the neighbor dog, and, most importantly, to be the family PDA police.  Any time family members hug or kiss, Muffy runs in between our feet and whines. It is both very funny and annoying. Not one of her purposes in life is to be photogenic.  She faced the camera for one of six clicks and it was only because she thought she heard the neighbor's dog.

When I visited Bruce Cameron's website I learned that there is a sequel to this book, A Dog's Journey. Hope it is as good as the original. Enjoy!


Muffy, our Cardigan Welsh Corgi, on duty as neighborhood dog barker.


20 books in July Reading Challenge





1 / 20 books. 5% done!

4 comments:

  1. This sounds like a really good one! I always wonder what our poodle, Charlie, is thinking.

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  2. The book seems sweet -- as does your photo of Muffy & her purpose. I'm a dog lover, so I'm game ...

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  3. I am very glad you read the book. I just thought it was so sweet and gave a new perspective on the nature of dogs.

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    1. I wonder if A Dog's Journey carries on with Bailey's story and if it is as good as the original. Thanks for the recommendation and the prodding to get/keep me reading it.

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