Nop's Hope

Nop #2

by Donald McCaig

The sequel to "Nop's Trials", one of America's best-loved dog books. Fleeing a terrible tragedy, a young woman, on the road with Hope, her remarkable border collie--and her only friend in the world--has the strength of that friendship tested when the two travel to the national herding finals in Wyoming.

Genres: Dogs, Animals, Fiction

230 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Donald McCaig was the award-winning author of Jacob’s Ladder, designated “the best civil war novel ever written” by The Virginia Quarterly. People magazine raved “Think Gone With the Wind, think Cold Mountain.” It won the Michael Sharra Award for Civil War Fiction and the Library of Virginia Award for Fiction.

Donald McCaig wrote about rural American life, sheepdogs, and the Civil War. He also wrote poetry and wrote under various pseudonyms.

Reviews

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book but going to give it only 5 stars as it was a bit sad, and the road the main character travels is long. Long and lonely except for Hope.

There were some good quotes I liked from the book and I saved them to my list of favorites.

McCaig writes about farm/ranch life, and sheepdog trials best as anyone can. My favorite part is where Penny takes on helping with the Spring lambing. Wow, what a piece of life to be doing that work. I think I will go back and see if any excerpts from that would stand on their own to be saved.

I found it interesting the way each chapter starts with the results from a dog trial. You search to see how Penny and Hope did. Then you search to see how he compared with Bute, and later Nop. Interesting way to boil things down. Nice to imagine how in reality, each of those days would have been lived and the feelings the results would have generated.

Different kind of ending. Not sure how I feel about it, but I like to accept a book like life, you take what you get and appreciate what you got. Now that I think about it, I guess I liked the resolution...

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, so much detail it could almost have been nonfiction. I didn’t want it to end, now I’ll have to read the first one. I didn’t know there was another one. I have a border collie lazy spoiled old lady whose “job” is playing frisbee until she drops.
I will be thinking of this book for a long time, it did not end the way I thought it might or should, but a great book about heartbreak and healing.
Also good information on what working dogs and their handlers do day in and day out.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Nop's Trials. It takes place some 8 or 9 years later and focuses around Penny (Lewis's daughter) and her dog, Hope (Nop's son). After suffering a horrible tragedy (which goes unnamed through the beginning and becomes clearer as you get further into the book), Penny sets off on her own to follow the sheepdog trial circuit with Hope. Lewis and his wife, Beverly, are distressed at her leaving and not being in contact, so try to seek her out on the road numerous times, even going so far as to enter Nop (now an old dog...presumably 10 or 11) in some trials.

In some ways, this was more the story of a woman coming to grips with a terrible tragedy than a story about dogs, and focused less on the dog and less on the human-dog bond than the first book did. I enjoyed it, though not as much as the first.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is mostly the story of Penny the daughter of Lewis the main character in the previous novel Nop’s Trials. It is rare that I like a book and not like the main character, but by the end of this novel I really disliked Penny despite her tragic circumstances. Penny runs away from her family tragedy with the dog she claims to be devoted to. You will learn more about sheep dog trials than you want to as Penny and many more herders lead itinerant and sometimes dangerous lives analogous to rodeo cowboys.

The best portrayal is the sorrow her parents experience not only for the loss of their granddaughter, but for Penny’s inability to reconnect. Many parents including myself have felt that loss.

I did not like the way Penny treated Hope and did not think she should have another dog. This is hard to justify without spoilers.

[Elaine H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read, the trust between a dog & its person can be so close, their communication so clear, it’s what all good dog people want. We know we don’t deserve them.

“Dogs are notorious for hope. Dogs believe that this morning, this very morning, may begin a day of fascination easily grander than any day in the past. Perhaps the day did go badly yesterday, perhaps the humans are wild with sulks & rages, but this morning can yet be saved: don’t humans understand anything?
Every morning in dog pounds all over America, hundreds of dogs awake to their last day with gladness in their hearts. “

[Donia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story. I picked this book up knowing nothing about it except that the cover called to me. My favorite literature is arm chair travel and judging by the cover I figured this would be a restful read. Little did I know that the poignancy and elegance and soul contained within the two covers would quickly reduce me to tears. Yet, there is a beauty and joy here as well. An animal lover would find this book hard to put down. I didn't want the story to end. Now I will go in search of the book's predecessor, Nop's Trials.

[Jan Wilkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a dog-lover, you will enjoy this book. The previous book "Nop's Trials" should probably be read first. Both of these books are true treasures. I was so sorry to see them end. The first book is about a sheep-herding Border Collie, Nop, and his life and people on a Virginia sheep farm. The second is about Nop's descendant, Hope, who follows in Nop's footsteps as a sheep dog. The stories are warm and rich, and I feel enriched for having read them both. I wish there were a whole series.

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems to pick up where Nop's Trials left off. From what I gather by reading Nop's Hope, the ending of Nop's Trials was a horrific and sad. Nop's Hope has a similar "downer" finish. If you are writing a series, this cliffhanger method is a way to persuade readers to read your next book. Otherwise, a sad ending also needs something to redeem the rest of the book.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the first book in the series, but still enjoyable because it's based on the workings of the sheep dog trials. The characters are not as well drawn in this book, and have little depth, so it's hard to feel any connection.

[Sandy Shin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book until the end.

[H.L. Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Nop's Trials isn't as dog-centered, but it's still a good read and a solid story. I wish more books like this (whether they were about dogs or not) would be written.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much easier to read than Nop’s Trials.

[Bea Lathrop · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it & it was a quick read.

[Mary N. Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved it.

[Linda Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned Interesting Facts About Herding Sheep

Hated the ending. Penny puts all her time and energy in Hope. But when he needed her, she lets him down

[Shems · Rating 4 out of 5]

i

[Jill Wilber]

I enjoyed the book, loved the Border Collie reference but it's so sad.

[Chana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. When you betray a beloved and loyal animal who has been at your side through the worst time in your life, then you have lost me.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about sheep trials, the dogs (border collies) and the humans involved. The backstory of this book is tragic, and I don't believe it is helped much by the heroine's actions. The end has an interesting twist, but was ultimately disappointing to me. I also was mystified by Ransome, a key character who is impossible to figure out.

[Susan Dillard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plot had too many minor twists that didn't add to the story, and didn't get resolved. Main character wasn't likable. Even the dog's personality just stopped being developed about halfway through the book.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely lovely read!

[Andy Plonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked to learn more about the actual process of sheepdog trials, but finding something out about the Border Collie mind was worth reading the book.

[Lori Dengler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly the read that Nop's Trial was but fun for border collie enthusiasts.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sequel to Nop's Trials, the new generation... again, not sure of even the year I read it, but I loved it.