Caturday Reads: A dog with a special gift transforms a man's life in The Dog that Whispered
The Dog That Whispered
A Novel
by Jim Kraus
FaithWords / Center Street
FaithWords
Pub Date 07 Jun 2016
Review
Christian fiction is not usually my thing. Often it is badly written and overly pedantic. (I am for religion but against bad writing of any kind) I made an exception for The Dog that Whispered, and I am glad I did. Thurman, the dog central to the plot, is quite a charmer, and it is a pleasure to see how his good nature and guidance transforms Wilson Steele's life.
We often forget or outright ignore the suffering our vets go through. Even those without physical injuries have to endure the memories of the horrors they observed or and were forced to enact. Wilson Steele is existing, teaching classes and going through the motions, but he doesn't really come alive until his aging mother forces Thurman upon him. Religion does play a large role in The Dog that Whispered, but it isn't as exaggerated a presence as in some Christian fiction. It fits the story and the subject.
The Dog that Whispered is a heartwarming novel that will definitely appeal to fans of Christian fiction as well as dog lovers.
4/5
I received a copy of The Dog that Whispered from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review
--Crittermom
Description
Bestselling author Jim Kraus returns with a heartwarming tale about a dog who has people convinced he can talk.
Wilson Steele is a single professor and Vietnam veteran who likes living alone, insisting it's too late for him to have a family. His mother disagrees. When she impulsively adopts a rescued black lab mix, she insists Thurman is special, and has whispered of the coming of grandchildren. Wilson brushes the notion off as fantasy. When his mother learns of her retirement community's 'no pets' policy, she forces Wilson to take the lovable dog. Wilson notices Thurman's growls do sound like words, but he knows he's just projecting his own thoughts on the animal. If Wilson is talking to neighbors on their walks, and spending time with Emily, a widow with three children, it isn't because Thurman encouraged him. After all, everyone knows dogs can't talk...can they?
