The Greyhound

by Helen Griffiths

Jamie's a small, nondescript 11-year-old when he falls in love with an elderly white greyhound named Silver Streak. When he gets a chance to own Silver, he seizes it although it means borrowing an impossible sum from the class bad boy. His mother won't let him keep the dog, so a newly determined Jamie hides him in a nearby bomb ruin. This works beautifully all summer, but winter brings new worries.

Genres: Animals, Dogs

206 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Although Helen Griffiths retired from writing junior fiction some 30 years ago, her books are still being read by fans and new readers in various parts of the world, perhaps because the themes are timeless and therefore don't date.

She wrote her first "story" with chalk on a school slate when she was 5 years old; was awarded the Matthew Arnold Memorial Prize (given only every 3 years to a London school child) when she was 12, and had her first book published at age 17. This was "Horse in the Clouds" which immediately became an international success. She was commended by the prestigious Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Awards for "The Wild Horse of Santander"; received the Dutch Silver Pencil Award for "Witch Fear" (voted the best children's book of the year in Holland), and was given the honorary title of "Daughter of Mark Twain" for her only adult novel, "The Dark Swallows".

Most of her books have been published throughout Europe and in the USA, as well as in countries as diverse as Argentina, Iceland and Israel, while "Witch Fear" ("The Mysterious Appearance of Agnes" in USA) still sells in Germany ("Hoxentochter").

While busily producing a new title every year, Helen also produced 3 daughters who have since provided her with 13 grandchildren and, more recently, 3 great grandchildren.

Born in London, brought up in West Yorkshire, and living some 20 years in Spain before finally settling in Bath, a city totally unknown to her before her arrival there, these very different places forged her writing career as well as her character. She has worked as a cow girl, a secretary, a teacher of English as a foreign language among other things, as well as writing books and being a wife and mother. In Spain she was always rescuing street dogs; in Bath she somehow managed to acquire as many as 5 horses (looked after by her daughters). One of her best-loved books, and which received many fan letters from young readers, was "Just a Dog", a partially true story of how Shadow became a much loved member of the family and who eventually was brought to Bath because of her astonishing faithfulness and intuition.

Her husband's sudden death in a car crash while the children were still young brought Helen back to England, and it was in Bath that she became a Christian, giving her a totally new life. She has written several books for a Christian publisher under her married name - Helen Santos - which have also been published internationally. But, this apart, for some 15 years she has had a teaching/preaching ministry and her sermons, if published, would doubtless fill a dozen books.

Helen was invited to write an autobiographical sketch which appeared in the series "Something About the Author, Vol 5", published by Gale Research Co., Michigan, where a more detailed biography can be found. She now has the company of 2 little dogs, as well as regular visits from grandchildren who have persuaded her to republish some of her most popular titles as e-books.

"The Greyhound" and "The Dark Swallows" are now available on Kindle and Amazon, the cover artist being one of her granddaughters, and "The Last Summer" is in preparation.

She wrote "The Dark Swallows" while she was very young, basing the main plot on a true story told to her by a next-door neighbour about her mother and brothers during and after the Spanish Civil War. Before republishing many years later, she felt some revision was needed. The story is the same but she trusts that anyone re-reading it might find it enhanced by the revisions, while new readers might be satisfied.


She can be contacted at: jolly.santos@gmail.com

Reviews

[Jodie Randisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, there are hardly any words because I'm still crying over this book!!! I read The Greyhound as a child and have never forgotten how this book affected me. When someone asks, what's your favorite book, I always say The Greyhound. Over the years, I forgot the details of the story, but here I am at 56 years old and experiencing the same reaction! TEARS! More tears. Weeping and crying!!! And who doesn't love a good cry. I'm not letting my husband read it because I think I wouldn't want to see him crying. I will, however, give it to my daughters, 28 and 29, to read. AND I'll watch them read it.

Here's my thought. I'm a screenwriter who could turn this into a screenplay if I knew more about the rights. As my husband left the house, he suggested I create a KICKSTARTER campaign. Give me some encouragement and BOY HOWDY...this will be my next project!

And here's my book trailer. http://youtu.be/o0qZtvFXbf0

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler alert! I'm just too sensitive. This was written and set in an earlier, grittier era (late 50's) in post WWII Britain when, for example, parents were not allowed to visit children in hospital more than three times per week, and everyone considered that was fine. A good deal of suspense toward the end of this book comes from the uncertainty that the greyhound is alive or dead; (he lives!) I can't handle that, and worse, they keep the knowledge from the hero, allowing the boy to suffer, ill, in hospital, for weeks, seeing his parents three times per week, thinking his beloved dog is dead, so the parents (the author) can spring the surprise on him and on us readers at the end, to floods of tears (mine). Yes this is a children's or young adult book, and there is a dark, harsh reality not entirely redeemed by the happy ending. There is more to this book than there at first appears, and it has lived in my memory for decades, since I first encountered it at the age of the target reader, and did not at the time understand it.

[Kate Welty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was in grade school in the 1960s and this book made me cry. Really cry. Not a tear here or there, but bawl. In fact - I was so very upset over this book I became angry at the author for wrenching my heart that way and promised to NEVER read anything of hers again. That lasted perhaps a week. And then I was almost equally annoyed and relieved to discover the library didn't have anything else of hers on the shelves.

[Alise Redviņa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching books ever. It's short and written in such simple language that you can read it in one day, and yet it so perfectly captures the loneliness and love that the boy feels. Reading this book for the third time, I wept as heavily as the first time. It's just gold.

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The summary for this book in Goodreads tells you everything about the book. And if that isn't enough spoilers in that, I saw someone's review where they give you enough else to spoil one big aspect. I won't repeat what is in the book other than to say a poor kid in London falls in love with a greyhound dog.

I am giving the book three stars based on how much I enjoyed it. It is very well written but painful at times. Another reviewer used the word 'gritty' and that sums it up. The main character is a young boy of 11 but it's a pretty rough book for me to think of recommending it to a young boy. I think boys now could learn by reading something tough but not sure if I would recommend it to one. I love how hard the boy 'Jamie' in the book worked to try get the money to care for the dog. Not sure if any kid now works so hard to get something they want. The manner in which he had to keep the dog a secret would make a modern dog fan squirm a bit though.

He sees an old man with a white greyhound and falls in love with it. Love how we all were so impressed with pedigree dogs back then like his reaction:

“Silver, I call him, but that’s not what’s written on his pedigree.”
“Gosh!” exclaimed Jamie, “Has he got a pedigree?”
“Every greyhound that can be called a greyhound’s got a pedigree. His real name’s Silver Streak by Lightning out of Flying Exit.”

When Jamie gets an opportunity to get the dog, he asks his mum:

"Mum . . . If I eat all my cabbage every day and if I Go shopping for you and help Cora with the washi g-up and clean the shoes and don’t get my clothes dirty, can I have something?”

His mum says yes and all is well. Wait, no, then there wouldn't be much of a book if everything was then all happy. Instead she says:

"You can’t have the dog, Jamie, so stop loving him. Forget him. Take him back where he belongs. I told you before you couldn’t have a dog.”

The dog does make him pretty darn happy. Love this bit for the happy part:

'Jamie was not lonely any more and neither was Silver, Sometimes Jamie talked lengthily to his dog and at other times he would sit silently with him, not needing to speak, feeling the warmth of his presence, filled with contentment by the very knowledge that the greyhound was his completely—not just a possession, but a living, breathing, warm-blooded creature who gave Jamie love and company; who trusted him as he had never been trusted; who gave him a feeling of importance and surrounded him with security from the ache of loneliness which he had known before Silver became his dog.'

If you like gritty and poignant then read the book. Or if you are a fan of greyhounds, then maybe get the book. As far as the question that everyone wants to know, 'Does the dog die in the end' I can't answer. So, if you want a poignant book with a greyhound, read this one, if you want something better, there are other books I would recommend.

[Joni Battin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I read it in, what was then, junior high and never forgot it. I've looked for it for years and finally found it. I began reading it the minute it arrived and it did not disappoint! It was as good as I remembered. This is a book for any age. It is a heartbreaking, emotional story and well worth the time.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as a kid, dogs were in our lives for many years, and I LOVE greyhounds whenever I meet them. I went along on the adventure, hopeful for this tale of a boy and his dog.

[Little Miss Netty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helen Griffiths deserves more recognition for her superb realistic stories.

[Jacque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am definitely biased on reviewing this as I'm a greyhound enthusiast, I have 2 Italian greyhounds myself so I'll read anything I can get my hands on relating to the breed.
I read this in one sitting tonight, I couldn't put it down! What a wonderful, lovely story. First it destroyed me, but then the ending was fantastic. I was so ready to sob myself to sleep and not finish this ever, but I got through to the end and was so happy I did.

[Justine Nielson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book that ever made my cry when I was nine years old

[Rene Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young adult book. Excellent. Emotional.

[Eli Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book

[Steven Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in 8th grade. Read a lot of books that year, and this is only one of three that I remember. I loved it then, and I loved it again almost fifty years later!