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Jessie #1

A Home for Jessie

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When Matt finds an injured Labrador puppy, he is determined to bring it back to health and to keep the puppy forever. Matt doesn't know the adventure that awaits him and Jessie, though.

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

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58 people want to read

About the author

Christine Pullein-Thompson

167 books24 followers
The Pullein-Thompson sisters — Josephine Pullein-Thompson MBE (3 April 1924-[1]), Diana Pullein-Thompson (born 1 October 1925) [2] and Christine Pullein-Thompson (1 October 1925–2 December 2005[2] — are British writers of several horse and pony books (mostly fictional) aimed at children and mostly popular with girls. They started at a very young age (initially writing collectively) and they were at their peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but their popularity has endured. They have written a collective autobiography Fair Girls and Grey Horses.

All 3 sisters have written at least 1 book under a different name; Josephine wrote 1 under the pseudonym of Josephine Mann, Diana 3 books under her married name of Diana Farr and Christine wrote 2 books under the name of Christine Keir.

Their mother, Joanna Cannan (1898–1961), sister of the poet May Cannan, wrote similar equestrian stories, but is better known for detective mysteries.

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5 stars
41 (35%)
4 stars
38 (33%)
3 stars
29 (25%)
2 stars
6 (5%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Sarah.
81 reviews47 followers
December 22, 2012
I remember my Mom reading me this series before bed when I was a kid; it was about a black lab named Jessie and that's about the only thing I could remember about it.

Well, several years ago I tried to find it again but I couldn't remember the title or the author. So I asked around at the local library, which was were it had come from, but they couldn't find it based soley on my description. I then went to Barnes and Noble but they couldn't find it either and I couldn't even find mention of it on the internet at the time.

Today, for some reason, I decided to try my luck and look for it again and FINALLY I found it. I couldn't believe it and at first I wasn't even sure if it was actually the same series. But after reading the description something clicked in my mind and I thought "at last!" After all these years I finally found Jessie the black lab and I can't wait to tell my Mom who wanted to find it almost as much as me. It's like finding a long lost friend and I can't wait to read it again. And even though I'm 26, reading this book makes me feel like a little kid all over again.
Profile Image for Gina.
406 reviews12 followers
March 11, 2022
Have to agree with my first review and add that this book is just downright unpleasant. Complete misery until the last chapter, which, if you examine for more than a moment, falls apart since a dog that near death is not going to be bearing any healthy puppies (if any at all) and a man who suffered a traumatic accident of that severity is going to suffer lifelong consequences from it even if he does get rich.

First review
I remember enjoying this quite a bit more when I was younger, though I can't imagine why now. Most likely it was my enthusiasm for dogs. Now I have to say, it wasn't all that impressive. I felt no attachment to any of the characters or their relationships because the author gives you no time to get attached. Most of Jessie's life and development is summarized rather than shown - same with emotions. It's all well and good to say her heart is breaking, but that won't make me feel it, too.

The father's sudden change of heart, or personality, really, could have been interesting, as well. But instead he goes to America and comes back a changed man. That doesn't ring true. It, like every other bit of happy ending the book offers, comes off as a cheap device to, well, end the book.

The book just didn't leave any lasting impact on me, but who knows, maybe Please Save Jessie will do better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maila.
35 reviews
March 16, 2020
I do not admit often that there are books which have changed my life, but I truly believe that the Jessie-series has great impact to it. I got the first book as a gift after I got bitten by a dog pretty harsh and after a while I got the other books also. I read them several times in my youth and I believe that these helped me to overcome from being scared of dogs. Of course the stories are fictional, but still they somehow helped me to understand dogs better. All these tears cried during these stories are worth it.
Profile Image for Spidermonkey.
607 reviews16 followers
October 14, 2019
I read this in Finnish and I think I've read this earlier, when I was a kid. This was good: touching and heart-warming. Pet-related books and movies (especially with dogs) always get to my feels and this was not an exception. I didn't cry tho.

The only complain about this is that it was kinda short and I didn't get that attached to the characters. Jessie was loyal, sweet and friendly dog who had issues with trusting people because she had been abandoned so many times - nobody seemed to really understand why she was that way and people were inpatient. And that is what makes me angry: when animals are being treated wrong.

Overall, this was sweet but also a heavy book about the loyalty of the dog. She wasn't happy until she was with Mats and that's just wonderful. No human would be that loyal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Andres "Ande" Jakovlev.
Author 2 books24 followers
August 1, 2024
Meie majapidamises on kõik loomad saanud endale nime mõne raamatu järgi. Kääbusküülik Wilbur (või Vilbur) sai oma nime E. B. White romaani "Charlotte koob võrku" järgi. Kass sai nime Oskar Lutsu "Nukitsamehe" järgi. Oleks olnud isane, oleks olnud Kusti - aga oli emane, nii et temast sai Iti.

Nüüd siis võtsime ka koera. Seekord läks aga vastupidi - tal oli juba nimi olemas. Jessie. Passis Francesca. Midagi paremat ka pähe ei tulnud ja ta juba täitsa reageeris oma nimele, nii et jäi siis nii.

Aga kuna mäletasin, et kunagi lapsena olin mingeid Jessie-koera lugusid lugenud, sai see sari ka ette võetud.

No mis ma oskan öelda; üle võlli dramaatiline ja vähese tegelaste arenguga. Aga samas ka põnev ja kerge lugemine.
136 reviews
July 20, 2018
I remember reading this as a kid and loving it. Reading it now, I can see what appealed to me when I was young, but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the other chapter books I’ve read in the last several years.

As a kid, I think I would have given this four stars. As a well-read adult, I can only give it two.
Profile Image for Kirjapallo.
397 reviews27 followers
August 27, 2016
Minusta on ihan ihmeellistä että (vanhemmille) pojille ei ole olemassa eläinkirjoja! No okei, Erin Hunterit tietysti, mutta sellaisia helppolukuisempia, omistajan ja lemmikin suhteesta kertovia tarinoita ei oikein tunnu olevan. Susikoira Roi ehkä, mutta uudempiakin saisi olla. Vinkkejä otetaan vastaan! :)

Muistinpa sitten tämän oman lapsuuteni suosikin. Luin aikoinaan sarjan kaikki 3 (?) kirjaa, mutta tämän ensimmäisen luin ainakin kolmesti. Minusta se oli niin jännittävä ja surullinen ja oih, niin koskettava... Onpa hassua, miten silti muistin juonen ihan väärin!

Muistikuvieni mukaan hukkumiskuolemalta vaivoin välttynyt Jessie lähtee etsimään pelastajaansa Mats-poikaa jonnekin ihan järjettömän matkan päähän, tyyliin Lassie palaa kotiin ja Kotia kohti -leffa. Mutta Matsin täytyi muuttaa Briteistä Amerikkaan, joten ehkä se ei ollutkaan ihan oikea mielikuva......

Oikeasti Jessie annetaankin Matsin Eric-enolle hoitoon vuodeksi ja Jessie sopeutuu täysin uuteen elämäänsä (tietysti suruajan jälkeen) eikä oikeastaan enää edes oikein muista Matsia. Kaikki olisi ollut hyvin, mutta sitten Eric joutuu Jessien kanssa vakavaan auto-onnettomuuteen eikä pysty puhumaan tai kirjoittamaan, ja niinpä Jessie viedään kenneliin ja sieltä uudelle omistajalle, mutta heti tilaisuuden tullen Jessie pakenee lähellä sijaitsevalle Matsin entiselle asunnolle. Mutta siellä onkin sitten tietysti ihan toiset asukkaat.

Tämän jälkeen Jessie lähtee Lontooseen, mutta määränpäänä ei olekaan Mats vaan Ericin tyhjillään oleva asunto. Tämä minusta vähän nakersi tarinan koskettavuutta. ;) Myös se tuli yllätyksenä että itse matka kesti loppujen lopuksi vain 5 sivua, kun se omissa muistikuvissa oli juuri se kirjan kantava idea. Paljon oli sitten asunnon lähellä odottamista ja viranomaisilta pakenemista ja yleistä hengissä selviytymistä.

Mutta siis olihan tämä nyt silti todella vaikuttava ja symppis tarina! Ja päähenkilönä 11-vuotias poika. :)

Tämä kirja on kuitenkin vuodelta 1988, joten kirjailijat: uusia eläintarinoita vaan kehiin, kiitos!! <3
Profile Image for Stephanie.
66 reviews
June 23, 2010
This is the first book that I remember ever reading. I cried way back then and I'd probably cry again.
Profile Image for Nina.
142 reviews3 followers
July 24, 2015
First book that I remember making me cry.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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