Rebecca Moll's Blog - Posts Tagged "legacy"
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, A Book Review by Rebecca Moll
Unspoken, beyond words, a life, a legacy that lies in the heart of man and his best of all friends…
At the very least, there is something about a boy and his dog, the open prairie, a family legacy that rings Americana. But The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is so much more.
Three generation dog breeders. A family business built on grit, creativity, and that true American spirit that leaves no room for giving up. Bred for companionship, character and intellect, litter after litter of dogs earn their marks through repetition and example. With careful selection, based on research and years of trial and error, the Sawtelle legacy lives on, in drawer after drawer, file after file, line after line of painstaking record and notation, bred into in the hearts of Sawtelle men and the best of all friends.
Then comes the third generation, Edgar. A boy who can hear, but not speak. And his faithful companion, the epitome of the Sawtelle breed, Almondine. Together they face the world, so much more than just a boy and his dog, their common ground, lack of language, breeding a love beyond words.
Edgar grows up secure in the bosom of mother, father, and Almondine, surrounded by a multitude of mothers and pups. He eagerly walks in his father’s footsteps and the pawprints of their beloved dogs.
But life rarely follows expectations. Claude, the wayward uncle returns. A sudden death. A boy in mourning. A mother lost to grief, finding comfort where Edgar only sees betrayal and murder. And with all the cruelty of life, Edgar must flee into the wilderness, three yearling dogs close behind. Together, they face the world, their survival a life lesson calling upon the very tenets of their breeding.
And it is that love beyond words that brings Edgar full-circle, back to his beginnings, back home, with hope in his heart and wisdom at his wings he must face what he fears most.
A beautiful story that remains long after the last page. From the unspoken bond between man and dog to the grandeur of nature and our Creator, there is beauty in what can never be said, but must be felt, lived and loved, generation to generation, lineage to lineage, a beauty beyond just a boy and his dog.
Great summer read. One I will, for sure, read again, and again, and again.
At the very least, there is something about a boy and his dog, the open prairie, a family legacy that rings Americana. But The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is so much more.
Three generation dog breeders. A family business built on grit, creativity, and that true American spirit that leaves no room for giving up. Bred for companionship, character and intellect, litter after litter of dogs earn their marks through repetition and example. With careful selection, based on research and years of trial and error, the Sawtelle legacy lives on, in drawer after drawer, file after file, line after line of painstaking record and notation, bred into in the hearts of Sawtelle men and the best of all friends.
Then comes the third generation, Edgar. A boy who can hear, but not speak. And his faithful companion, the epitome of the Sawtelle breed, Almondine. Together they face the world, so much more than just a boy and his dog, their common ground, lack of language, breeding a love beyond words.
Edgar grows up secure in the bosom of mother, father, and Almondine, surrounded by a multitude of mothers and pups. He eagerly walks in his father’s footsteps and the pawprints of their beloved dogs.
But life rarely follows expectations. Claude, the wayward uncle returns. A sudden death. A boy in mourning. A mother lost to grief, finding comfort where Edgar only sees betrayal and murder. And with all the cruelty of life, Edgar must flee into the wilderness, three yearling dogs close behind. Together, they face the world, their survival a life lesson calling upon the very tenets of their breeding.
And it is that love beyond words that brings Edgar full-circle, back to his beginnings, back home, with hope in his heart and wisdom at his wings he must face what he fears most.
A beautiful story that remains long after the last page. From the unspoken bond between man and dog to the grandeur of nature and our Creator, there is beauty in what can never be said, but must be felt, lived and loved, generation to generation, lineage to lineage, a beauty beyond just a boy and his dog.
Great summer read. One I will, for sure, read again, and again, and again.
