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Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog
The story that became a global sensation: Sophie, the Australian cattle dog who was lost at sea and swam six miles through shark-infested waters to a remote island where she survived in the wild for five months. It was just another day in paradise as Jan and Dave Griffith, along with their blue cattle dog, Sophie, motored out of Mackay Marina for a gorgeous weekend at sea. But when the sky suddenly darkened and the waves turned fierce, the unthinkable happened: Sophie disappeared overboard. Her heartbroken humans couldn’t fathom the loss and could only hope their beloved pet didn’t suffer. But this true cattle dog and devoted best friend wasn’t going to give up that easily—and what followed is a remarkable tale of survival, luck, and persistence. From the first day the Griffiths set eyes on puppy Sophie through that terrible October day she was lost, to Sophie’s time as a castaway and the reunion that almost didn’t happen, journalist Emma Pearse recreates the incredible journey of this canine Robinson Crusoe. An inspirational story of loyalty and the resilience of the spirit, Sophie offers undeniable proof about the unbreakable bond between humans and our pets—and that if lost, they would do anything to come home to us.
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First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Emma Pearse
9 books6 followersEmma is an Australian living in NYC, writing about travel, pop culture and feminism... and slowly at work on her second book. Her first is a biography and travel book about one heroic blue heeler-—an iconic Australian farm dog—-who survived a harrowing adventure in far north Queensland, Australia in 2010. Sophie was published worldwide by Hodder Stoughton and Perseus Books in the US. It's on bookstore shelves in the US, Australia, China, Brazil and Italy where the cover shows a small dog in a handbag. Emma has written for the New York Times, New York magazine, Smithsonian magazine, the Guardian, Slate, Salon, the Sydney Morning Herald and Tribeca Film.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
February 13, 2012
If I could, I'd give five stars for the dog and one star for the book itself.
The good: The story and setting are interesting, and Sophie is undoubtedly an amazing dog.
The author clearly did a lot of interviews and put a lot of work into giving the most complete account of Sophie's story possible (though this is both good and bad as the book tended towards the over-detailed in areas); as the author says time and again, it's impossible to know exactly what Sophie got up to in her time on the island, but I felt like the book gave the most probable options and narrative.
The bad: The nuts and bolts of the writing, editing, and proofing. I felt like the author's style and overall competence was passable at best (though of course such a thing is very subjective.) I felt often like too much detail was given in areas that didn't really relate that directly to the dog. But even the pictures included of the dog herself felt excessive, which really surprised me, because I love looking at pictures of cute dogs--who wouldn't? But some of the pictures are not very good and seem redundant.
It's depressing to think that this book was edited, and possibly edited again for release in the US (the temperatures have all been changed to Fahrenheit, so someone at least looked at it) and still came out like this. Awkward sentences, outright grammar mistakes, missing words...and I'm not just talking about an error or two: there are bad sentences throughout the book.
It's ridiculous to have people pay full price for a book this poorly edited.
I also felt frustrated by a couple of mentions of Cesar Millan's philosophies: I am a big fan of his, so I know his books and TV show, etc. very well; I felt like someone who didn't know him as well would get the wrong idea from the way he's talked about a few times in this book.
First, his ideas about a "dog being a dog" were mentioned in context with Sophie's owners originally deciding to keep their dogs outside--as though Cesar supports keeping dogs outside! While this issue has its nuances, such as a dog's breeding and purpose, I know that Cesar supports dogs being members of the family, kept primarily in the house.
Then the upbringing of the family's previous Australian Cattle Dog is mentioned, which included her owner "who would rile her up, wrestling her, chasing her, roughing her around." This is put against a quote from Cesar about how ACDs need a job and physical fulfillment, which is of course true--however, the way this is written might give people the idea Cesar would support this level of physical, aggressive play with a dog who showed a good deal of aggression as Jordy is said to have. This is simply not the case.
Finally, I wish the book had mentioned somewhere the life vests and other boat safety ideas for dogs. I'm not an expert by any means, but everything I have read says vests are a must for any dog going on the water, no matter their breeding or how calm the waters are.
I don't say this to cause any more guilt for Sophie's owners, or to pretend I know for sure that a vest would have significantly altered the course of events for the better. I say this only because not every dog is Sophie, not every dog has the strength and luck that brought her through her ordeal. Why not give our dogs whatever advantage a vest might bring them? (Or a tie-line? which I imagine probably would have altered events significantly.)
(edited slightly 02/13/12)
The good: The story and setting are interesting, and Sophie is undoubtedly an amazing dog.
The author clearly did a lot of interviews and put a lot of work into giving the most complete account of Sophie's story possible (though this is both good and bad as the book tended towards the over-detailed in areas); as the author says time and again, it's impossible to know exactly what Sophie got up to in her time on the island, but I felt like the book gave the most probable options and narrative.
The bad: The nuts and bolts of the writing, editing, and proofing. I felt like the author's style and overall competence was passable at best (though of course such a thing is very subjective.) I felt often like too much detail was given in areas that didn't really relate that directly to the dog. But even the pictures included of the dog herself felt excessive, which really surprised me, because I love looking at pictures of cute dogs--who wouldn't? But some of the pictures are not very good and seem redundant.
It's depressing to think that this book was edited, and possibly edited again for release in the US (the temperatures have all been changed to Fahrenheit, so someone at least looked at it) and still came out like this. Awkward sentences, outright grammar mistakes, missing words...and I'm not just talking about an error or two: there are bad sentences throughout the book.
It's ridiculous to have people pay full price for a book this poorly edited.
I also felt frustrated by a couple of mentions of Cesar Millan's philosophies: I am a big fan of his, so I know his books and TV show, etc. very well; I felt like someone who didn't know him as well would get the wrong idea from the way he's talked about a few times in this book.
First, his ideas about a "dog being a dog" were mentioned in context with Sophie's owners originally deciding to keep their dogs outside--as though Cesar supports keeping dogs outside! While this issue has its nuances, such as a dog's breeding and purpose, I know that Cesar supports dogs being members of the family, kept primarily in the house.
Then the upbringing of the family's previous Australian Cattle Dog is mentioned, which included her owner "who would rile her up, wrestling her, chasing her, roughing her around." This is put against a quote from Cesar about how ACDs need a job and physical fulfillment, which is of course true--however, the way this is written might give people the idea Cesar would support this level of physical, aggressive play with a dog who showed a good deal of aggression as Jordy is said to have. This is simply not the case.
Finally, I wish the book had mentioned somewhere the life vests and other boat safety ideas for dogs. I'm not an expert by any means, but everything I have read says vests are a must for any dog going on the water, no matter their breeding or how calm the waters are.
I don't say this to cause any more guilt for Sophie's owners, or to pretend I know for sure that a vest would have significantly altered the course of events for the better. I say this only because not every dog is Sophie, not every dog has the strength and luck that brought her through her ordeal. Why not give our dogs whatever advantage a vest might bring them? (Or a tie-line? which I imagine probably would have altered events significantly.)
(edited slightly 02/13/12)
May 6, 2019
This is a supremely difficult book to review; one one hand I would like to give four stars to Sophie, her amazing story and her family, the Griffiths. On the other hand, the writing is so clumsy and poorly done that honestly, two stars is all it deserves. Hence my conflict.
Starting with the good; having lived in North Queensland, the Griffiths, their home, their Mackay community all came to life for me instantly and vividly. I have been to the marina described, I have met many a cattle dog and even worked with a few in WA. The story of this amazingly determined dog and her ability to swim to safety and then survive for months on her own is riveting. I felt so strongly for her down to earth family that there was a tear or two, I admit. Boats are tricky things (to quote a famous hobbit), North QLD weather is also often surprising even to people who do all the research and think they know what is what. Dave and Jan's guilt was so easy to relate to, we do our absolute best for our animal friends and only in hindsight can we see the things we could have done differently, I felt so sorry for them and so thrilled when they were reunited with Sophie.
The bad: Clumsy, amateurish writing. The author is meant to be a journalist, so I can only assume she wrote this while still at uni. The text meanders, waffles, repeats and does the most bizarre things. If I were the Griffiths, their friends or their family, I would be downright hostile at how they have been represented here. My liking for them was not based in the way this text treated them, but at how familiar they seemed to so many other families I have known in QLD.
Examples of things that annoyed me about the writing include but are not limited to;
1) The repeated use of the word 'nursed' for cuddled, or held. What IS this? It is not Australian, not QLD speak at all. A mother 'nurses' a baby, as in, she suckles it; giving it milk to drink. This is a pretty archaic term anyway. I even sent a txt to a young friend who grew up in Mackay in the 2000's to see if it was in fashion.... nope, it is just a bit icky and a lot odd. The repeated use of this word from page 9 onward, combined with the very clumsy language transitions initially made me think that the author could not be Australian, I thought this because I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. But she is, allegedly, Australian just as she is, allegedly, a professional writer.
2) Unexplained references. Sophie got the nick-name 'Sophie Tucker' based on.... Some singer? Vaudeville? Or something... ??? This is never explained and even after googling I have no idea. Some dude called Cesar Miller is mentioned repeatedly. From context, I guess he writes about dog behaviour? Throwing references into a book, expecting the whole world to know what you mean just because you do, is bad writing. We could have cut out a few pages of sentimental waffle and explained the references.
3) Page 105 gives us a list of ALL the dangerous things that live in the water around Mackay which could be hazardous to Sophie after she goes overboard into the water. Including many like fire coral that are very unlikely to be even remotely relevant. Also including Whale sharks which are not dangerous (being plankton eaters as the book makes clear that the author KNOWS), are not seen in those waters and are apparently included purely because of their 'cool' name? Giant manta rays are also on this list and are also plankton eaters.... I am getting a headache even typing this from the pure stupid.
Later, the bronze whaler shark is confused with a 'bronze whale' but, by then, I was able to just shudder it off.
4) On page 218 we are treated to a list of nick names for koalas that I had never heard before, despite a degree from QLD in Zoology and which I assume the author acquired from the Koala researchers in the story. Fuzzy Grey Bum? Ooookaayyyy.... That is fine, every researcher has their own little names for their study animals but why try and pass it off as a general thing?
5) This is the big one. The patchiness of the writing. Any quote from a person was fine, the people sounded real and the story in their own words was great. At other times you could tell the author was working off interview material, and that came across as pretty good also. At other times she would sink into pages of poorly written, slushy sentiment, needlessly purple prose and wild theories based on no information (usually about what Sophie felt or did when she was on her own, but, sadly, not always) and some of the most stilted, clumsy story writing I have ever read. Regrettably, the different kinds of writing slithered around each other constantly; a sentence of one, a paragraph of another, back to the first, on to a third... It was all over the place and needed a lot more editing.
This was the two star part, but Sophie and her family deserve better.
As a final insult to the readers intelligence, on page 300 is a 'map of Sophie's journey based on reasonable assumptions...' Which has the poor dog swimming all the way around two large islands instead of across two small channels. This is more than THREE TIMES the distance she had to swim from where she went overboard to the island - a distance that is already described as incredible. WTF.
This is all SO frustrating! The story is so good that it shines through the writing style, I enjoyed the story enough that the writing was something I just bore with for the sake of the yarn. It could have been an absolutely spectacular story in the hands of a competent writer.
Anyway - many thanks to the Griffith family, for sharing this amazing, inspiring story with us. Many thanks to their friends and contacts, to the rangers, Koala researchers and residents of the islands for sharing their parts in this unique sequence of events.
Starting with the good; having lived in North Queensland, the Griffiths, their home, their Mackay community all came to life for me instantly and vividly. I have been to the marina described, I have met many a cattle dog and even worked with a few in WA. The story of this amazingly determined dog and her ability to swim to safety and then survive for months on her own is riveting. I felt so strongly for her down to earth family that there was a tear or two, I admit. Boats are tricky things (to quote a famous hobbit), North QLD weather is also often surprising even to people who do all the research and think they know what is what. Dave and Jan's guilt was so easy to relate to, we do our absolute best for our animal friends and only in hindsight can we see the things we could have done differently, I felt so sorry for them and so thrilled when they were reunited with Sophie.
The bad: Clumsy, amateurish writing. The author is meant to be a journalist, so I can only assume she wrote this while still at uni. The text meanders, waffles, repeats and does the most bizarre things. If I were the Griffiths, their friends or their family, I would be downright hostile at how they have been represented here. My liking for them was not based in the way this text treated them, but at how familiar they seemed to so many other families I have known in QLD.
Examples of things that annoyed me about the writing include but are not limited to;
1) The repeated use of the word 'nursed' for cuddled, or held. What IS this? It is not Australian, not QLD speak at all. A mother 'nurses' a baby, as in, she suckles it; giving it milk to drink. This is a pretty archaic term anyway. I even sent a txt to a young friend who grew up in Mackay in the 2000's to see if it was in fashion.... nope, it is just a bit icky and a lot odd. The repeated use of this word from page 9 onward, combined with the very clumsy language transitions initially made me think that the author could not be Australian, I thought this because I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. But she is, allegedly, Australian just as she is, allegedly, a professional writer.
2) Unexplained references. Sophie got the nick-name 'Sophie Tucker' based on.... Some singer? Vaudeville? Or something... ??? This is never explained and even after googling I have no idea. Some dude called Cesar Miller is mentioned repeatedly. From context, I guess he writes about dog behaviour? Throwing references into a book, expecting the whole world to know what you mean just because you do, is bad writing. We could have cut out a few pages of sentimental waffle and explained the references.
3) Page 105 gives us a list of ALL the dangerous things that live in the water around Mackay which could be hazardous to Sophie after she goes overboard into the water. Including many like fire coral that are very unlikely to be even remotely relevant. Also including Whale sharks which are not dangerous (being plankton eaters as the book makes clear that the author KNOWS), are not seen in those waters and are apparently included purely because of their 'cool' name? Giant manta rays are also on this list and are also plankton eaters.... I am getting a headache even typing this from the pure stupid.
Later, the bronze whaler shark is confused with a 'bronze whale' but, by then, I was able to just shudder it off.
4) On page 218 we are treated to a list of nick names for koalas that I had never heard before, despite a degree from QLD in Zoology and which I assume the author acquired from the Koala researchers in the story. Fuzzy Grey Bum? Ooookaayyyy.... That is fine, every researcher has their own little names for their study animals but why try and pass it off as a general thing?
5) This is the big one. The patchiness of the writing. Any quote from a person was fine, the people sounded real and the story in their own words was great. At other times you could tell the author was working off interview material, and that came across as pretty good also. At other times she would sink into pages of poorly written, slushy sentiment, needlessly purple prose and wild theories based on no information (usually about what Sophie felt or did when she was on her own, but, sadly, not always) and some of the most stilted, clumsy story writing I have ever read. Regrettably, the different kinds of writing slithered around each other constantly; a sentence of one, a paragraph of another, back to the first, on to a third... It was all over the place and needed a lot more editing.
This was the two star part, but Sophie and her family deserve better.
As a final insult to the readers intelligence, on page 300 is a 'map of Sophie's journey based on reasonable assumptions...' Which has the poor dog swimming all the way around two large islands instead of across two small channels. This is more than THREE TIMES the distance she had to swim from where she went overboard to the island - a distance that is already described as incredible. WTF.
This is all SO frustrating! The story is so good that it shines through the writing style, I enjoyed the story enough that the writing was something I just bore with for the sake of the yarn. It could have been an absolutely spectacular story in the hands of a competent writer.
Anyway - many thanks to the Griffith family, for sharing this amazing, inspiring story with us. Many thanks to their friends and contacts, to the rangers, Koala researchers and residents of the islands for sharing their parts in this unique sequence of events.
August 28, 2014
I'd love to give Sophie herself five stars, but the book? Not so much. It was filled with redundant details and the writing was sub-par at best. I also really got tired of reading about how Sophie's people kept their dogs outside and how they treated their dogs "like dogs." While I don't exactly blame them for Sophie going overboard (accidents do happen), they certainly weren't very likable otherwise, either.
October 6, 2012
I followed this story in the media when it happened, so I was very excited when the book came out. A true story about an Australian cattle dog named Sophie, who is knocked overboard in rough seas and survives for months on her own on a deserted island. The story is fabulous, but this book let it down.
The entire thing read as if it were a long-winded newspaper article, and I was not at all surprised when I read the acknowledgements to find that Emma Pearse is actually a journalist. The font size also put me off - it was something like 18 point font and I felt like I was reading a kids book. Additionally, the story was irritatingly repetitive, which I took to be a 'filler' to make the book something more tangible.
Read the book because the story is truly interesting, but Emma Pearse should stick to journalism, and the editor should be fired.
The entire thing read as if it were a long-winded newspaper article, and I was not at all surprised when I read the acknowledgements to find that Emma Pearse is actually a journalist. The font size also put me off - it was something like 18 point font and I felt like I was reading a kids book. Additionally, the story was irritatingly repetitive, which I took to be a 'filler' to make the book something more tangible.
Read the book because the story is truly interesting, but Emma Pearse should stick to journalism, and the editor should be fired.
October 26, 2011
Bridget was just 16 years old when she first saw Sophie and fell in love! She had been begging her Mum, Jan, and Dad, Dave for a dog of her own for a long time. While working two jobs during the holidays, she'd nip down to the pet shop in her lunch break to gaze into the window at the litter of cattle dog puppies. Sophie was a sleepy girl, whilst her siblings were much more boistrous and energetic. When the litter was reduced to two puppies in the window, Bridget knew she needed to act quickly. So she organised a shopping day with her Mum, and managed to get her to the pet shop, and as they say...the rest is history!
Sophie soon settled into a routine with the Griffith family, and the tough, gruff Dave's heart was stolen! Jan had fallen instantly in love with the delightful Sophie, while Bridget carried her everywhere, even managing to sneak Sophie to her bed at night. The whole family was very taken with Sophie's wonderful spirit, and her loving devotion to her family.
The day they decided to take her out for her first trip on the Honey May, Dave and Jan's 'retirement' boat, Sophie was beside herself with delight. She loved it, and went with them everytime they travelled out from Mackay on the weekends.
Then came the day Sophie disappeared overboard, out near the Whitsundays, and the hours Dave and Jan spent searching for her, travelling backwards and forwards, calling her, desperately looking, until they finally had to head back to land, realizing she couldn't possibly have survived that long in the water.
The family was completely grief stricken, totally unable to come to terms with Sophie's loss. Jan and Dave felt so incredibly guilty, convinced it was their fault she had been lost.
But the amazing Sophie wasn't done with yet! Unbeknown to the Griffith family, Sophie was proving what a cattle dog is made of, especially one as strong, determined and courageous as Sophie. As we learn of Sophie's amazing journey, it will astound you, it will cause you to cheer for her, to cry for her, and it will teach you of the unbreakable bond between human and animal.
I absolutely loved this extraordinary story of survival, luck and loyalty, and the beautiful reunion between Sophie and her family brought a lump to my throat. I will recommend this book to everyone, but especially animal lovers!
Sophie soon settled into a routine with the Griffith family, and the tough, gruff Dave's heart was stolen! Jan had fallen instantly in love with the delightful Sophie, while Bridget carried her everywhere, even managing to sneak Sophie to her bed at night. The whole family was very taken with Sophie's wonderful spirit, and her loving devotion to her family.
The day they decided to take her out for her first trip on the Honey May, Dave and Jan's 'retirement' boat, Sophie was beside herself with delight. She loved it, and went with them everytime they travelled out from Mackay on the weekends.
Then came the day Sophie disappeared overboard, out near the Whitsundays, and the hours Dave and Jan spent searching for her, travelling backwards and forwards, calling her, desperately looking, until they finally had to head back to land, realizing she couldn't possibly have survived that long in the water.
The family was completely grief stricken, totally unable to come to terms with Sophie's loss. Jan and Dave felt so incredibly guilty, convinced it was their fault she had been lost.
But the amazing Sophie wasn't done with yet! Unbeknown to the Griffith family, Sophie was proving what a cattle dog is made of, especially one as strong, determined and courageous as Sophie. As we learn of Sophie's amazing journey, it will astound you, it will cause you to cheer for her, to cry for her, and it will teach you of the unbreakable bond between human and animal.
I absolutely loved this extraordinary story of survival, luck and loyalty, and the beautiful reunion between Sophie and her family brought a lump to my throat. I will recommend this book to everyone, but especially animal lovers!
September 10, 2012
I was excited about receiving this book, although I don't remember hearing about Sophie when all of this happened. The idea that she could have swum as far as she did and survived for 5 months in the wild seemed almost impossible to believe.
How did Sophie get stranded on the island? How did she survive? And how did she get rescued - and manage to get back home to her family?
It's an amazing story.
This book follows Sophie's life from newly-adopted puppy through her first boat excursion. To the day she disappeared off the Honey May through being sighted on nearly-unpopulated islands. To her capture and reunion with Dave and Jan, five months after she went into the water.
Emma Pearse shares the details of the Griffith family life, sightings of Sophie on Keswick and St. Bees, and an amazing reunion in March, 2009. While no one can know what Sophie did or experienced during her time as a castaway, the author does her best to paint a complete picture.
*****
At 300 pages, this book feels about 100 pages too long. What could have been told in a few paragraphs goes on for chapters, with fully 1/3 of the book just leading up to the day that Sophie disappeared. It was (for me) a tedious, slow read that I put down and picked up many, many times before I finished.
The book could also have benefitted from some judicious proofreading. There are missing words and typographical errors throughout. Someone converted measurements to American standards, yet no one caught the mistakes.
With that said, this is an amazing story with an incredible 'heroine'.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
How did Sophie get stranded on the island? How did she survive? And how did she get rescued - and manage to get back home to her family?
It's an amazing story.
This book follows Sophie's life from newly-adopted puppy through her first boat excursion. To the day she disappeared off the Honey May through being sighted on nearly-unpopulated islands. To her capture and reunion with Dave and Jan, five months after she went into the water.
Emma Pearse shares the details of the Griffith family life, sightings of Sophie on Keswick and St. Bees, and an amazing reunion in March, 2009. While no one can know what Sophie did or experienced during her time as a castaway, the author does her best to paint a complete picture.
*****
At 300 pages, this book feels about 100 pages too long. What could have been told in a few paragraphs goes on for chapters, with fully 1/3 of the book just leading up to the day that Sophie disappeared. It was (for me) a tedious, slow read that I put down and picked up many, many times before I finished.
The book could also have benefitted from some judicious proofreading. There are missing words and typographical errors throughout. Someone converted measurements to American standards, yet no one caught the mistakes.
With that said, this is an amazing story with an incredible 'heroine'.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 22, 2012
This story is so incredible, but this book just wasn't that well written. The story follows the Griffith family and their dog Sophie. When the last of their children goes off to college, it's just Jan, Dave, and Sophie. One beautiful day they are out on their boat sailing to visit friends when the weather changes and Sophie somehow falls off the boat. Sophie is an avid swimmer and they search for hours, but there is no trace of her so they assume because of the rough seas she must have hit her head on the boat and drowned quickly. The family is devastated and feel extremely guilty that their sailing trip led to Sophie's demise. But, unbeknownst to them Sophie did survive and manages to swim almost 5 miles to the closest island. Over the course of 5 months she swims to two other islands seeking food and water. Eventually park rangers on the St. Bees Island discover Sophie and manage to trap her and through a series of coincidences they manage to figure out that she is the Griffith family's missing dog and they are reunited. The 2 or 3 chapters about the capture of Sophie and her reunion with her family are definitely worth reading, but overall the book was just kind of choppy and just didn't flow well. I've read a LOT of animal memoirs/books and while the story behind this book is amazing the book just didn't convey it all that well.
October 29, 2012
This truly is an incredible story, just as the title promises. Sophie the dog is separated from her family, and somehow survives against all odds for five months until they are reunited. With that being said, I think the story was so exciting that it had the potential of a much better book than this one.
Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog really needed another edit. The book was just overly detailed, to the point that it became boring. It was tedious to read chapters upon chapters of details completely unrelated to Sophie or her family. I think about half of this book could have been cut, and you would have had a 150 page book that was REALLY GOOD. In reading about the author, I discovered this was her first book and that she used to be a journalist. I feel that it explains a lot of why the book ended up reading the way it did.
I still liked Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog because it was an interesting storyline, and Sophie Tucker really won me over. She reminds me so much of my parents dog that I actually teared up at times. I can't fault the dog because the writing was so poor, but ultimately I have to suggest you just Google this story and pick up a different dog book to read instead.
Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog really needed another edit. The book was just overly detailed, to the point that it became boring. It was tedious to read chapters upon chapters of details completely unrelated to Sophie or her family. I think about half of this book could have been cut, and you would have had a 150 page book that was REALLY GOOD. In reading about the author, I discovered this was her first book and that she used to be a journalist. I feel that it explains a lot of why the book ended up reading the way it did.
I still liked Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog because it was an interesting storyline, and Sophie Tucker really won me over. She reminds me so much of my parents dog that I actually teared up at times. I can't fault the dog because the writing was so poor, but ultimately I have to suggest you just Google this story and pick up a different dog book to read instead.
did-not-finish
March 20, 2012I got around halfway in this book and just didn't feel like reading it anymore. I knew that the dog was going to survive, and it's not like the dog can tell us what she was up to the whole time on that island. I agree with other reviewers - the details in the writing just were unnecessary and I would skim through several pages without really reading anything.
I rarely say this (I usually say the opposite) - but I actually think this story would make a better movie than a book. Think "Marley & Me" in a tropical setting and with a happier ending.
I rarely say this (I usually say the opposite) - but I actually think this story would make a better movie than a book. Think "Marley & Me" in a tropical setting and with a happier ending.
September 7, 2012
As a dog lover, and a huge fan of cattle dogs, the story of Sophie was heartwarming and a joy to read. I shed tears of joy when Sophie was reunited with her owners after months lost at sea. It's amazing to me that any dog conquered what Sophie did and survived.
November 19, 2012
I have given up on this one for a few days, not sure if I'll pick it up again. Writing style is grating on my nerves.... "Jan and Bridget went for a swim...Sophie enjoyed it". I think whoever wrote this was a novice writer with their eyes on a film script....
May 5, 2022
This is a moderately interesting true story, stretched over way more words than the content is good for. The reason I gave it two stars despite seeing many flaws in it, is because I am informed by friends that for some people a "nothing much happens" happy domesticated story is good relaxation/therapy. I was bored stiff for over half of it.
The story is written in a fluffly magazine-journalism style complete with grammatical errors and logical errors as well as tmi of the mundane, tedious sort. It takes about 100 pages before anything happens, until then it's all "Jan got her hair done, Dave was sad because it was short these days" or "Bridget was a spoiled brat adored by her parents", etc, etc, etc complete with apricot cake, basketball practice and whatever else- wealthy people living ordinary life. Oh and a boat trip where also anticlimactically nothing happens.
Then THE THING happens but the problem is by this time the cover, prologue, much of the dicussion and pictures have given away what THE THING is so while it's moderately interesting it's not worth all the build-up. Then we have lengthy tangents about the islands and some stuff about koala preservation which while it had very little to do with the story I have to admit I actually found interesting (this is the part of the story that I actually enjoyed) then we have a resolution to THE THING. Then we have over 50 pages of "human interest" fluff about where the dog slept and the fact that Jan and Dave held hands, and which dog liked the grandchild best.
Even with all that, it would not reach 300 pages so there is a lot of filler which is repetition, people's emotions over-dramatised with rhetorical questions - e.g. "would they ever get a good night's sleep again?" and a lot, lot, lot of speculation "Sophie might have done this, she might have done that, as Jan cooked the food being the middle-class, housewife she is she wondered about Sophie possibly, probably, maybe lying alone in the grass on the island and balh blah blah more repetition".
My favourite thing was considering doing blackout poetry with things like "Karen being a typically vigilant island inhabitant...." (p137 unintentional comedy gold), "Steve's look is full of awe, 'she must have been smelling goats'" (p168, chef's kiss), "some menial duty, such as walking around the circle or sitting" (268, technically correct use of the term but really?), or .....no TBH I am getting bored even of being snarky here.
Again, no judgement on anyone who enjoys this. I think if it was only 1-2 pages with the text spaced out with the pictures I might have found it heartwarming. I wasn't a fan of the persistant stereotypical gender crap being rubbed in our faces every couple of pages or so but I guess this is how the boat-owning Queenslanders live? Or something! There was a lot of sanctimonious "yes they are rich but they earned it by working hard OK?" which I think was actually intended more as filler than ideology but it was a bit on the nose TBH.
A better way to make this story so long would be write a shamelessly fictional account of the dog's adventures and leave whether Jan had a champagne with her roast turkey, while Dave had a beer or vice versa and how this was different from every other year out of it.
The story is written in a fluffly magazine-journalism style complete with grammatical errors and logical errors as well as tmi of the mundane, tedious sort. It takes about 100 pages before anything happens, until then it's all "Jan got her hair done, Dave was sad because it was short these days" or "Bridget was a spoiled brat adored by her parents", etc, etc, etc complete with apricot cake, basketball practice and whatever else- wealthy people living ordinary life. Oh and a boat trip where also anticlimactically nothing happens.
Then THE THING happens but the problem is by this time the cover, prologue, much of the dicussion and pictures have given away what THE THING is so while it's moderately interesting it's not worth all the build-up. Then we have lengthy tangents about the islands and some stuff about koala preservation which while it had very little to do with the story I have to admit I actually found interesting (this is the part of the story that I actually enjoyed) then we have a resolution to THE THING. Then we have over 50 pages of "human interest" fluff about where the dog slept and the fact that Jan and Dave held hands, and which dog liked the grandchild best.
Even with all that, it would not reach 300 pages so there is a lot of filler which is repetition, people's emotions over-dramatised with rhetorical questions - e.g. "would they ever get a good night's sleep again?" and a lot, lot, lot of speculation "Sophie might have done this, she might have done that, as Jan cooked the food being the middle-class, housewife she is she wondered about Sophie possibly, probably, maybe lying alone in the grass on the island and balh blah blah more repetition".
My favourite thing was considering doing blackout poetry with things like "Karen being a typically vigilant island inhabitant...." (p137 unintentional comedy gold), "Steve's look is full of awe, 'she must have been smelling goats'" (p168, chef's kiss), "some menial duty, such as walking around the circle or sitting" (268, technically correct use of the term but really?), or .....no TBH I am getting bored even of being snarky here.
Again, no judgement on anyone who enjoys this. I think if it was only 1-2 pages with the text spaced out with the pictures I might have found it heartwarming. I wasn't a fan of the persistant stereotypical gender crap being rubbed in our faces every couple of pages or so but I guess this is how the boat-owning Queenslanders live? Or something! There was a lot of sanctimonious "yes they are rich but they earned it by working hard OK?" which I think was actually intended more as filler than ideology but it was a bit on the nose TBH.
A better way to make this story so long would be write a shamelessly fictional account of the dog's adventures and leave whether Jan had a champagne with her roast turkey, while Dave had a beer or vice versa and how this was different from every other year out of it.
January 1, 2014
We have an Australian Cattle Dog mix in our family (as pictured in my current avatar), so Sophie's picture on the cover is what drew me in, as it very much looked like my dog lounging somewhere. Her story tells the perseverance of the breed, as she somehow falls from her family's boat in the seas off the coast of Australia and is presumed drowned when the boat canvasses the area where they believe she fell and there is no sign of her. For 5 months she lives on islands, miles from where she fell in, swimming courses that no human or water-breed dog would likely survive, much less a short-legged cattle herding dog. Her rescue is only due to a chance conversation between friends of her owners, as the islands she was inhabiting are teeming with endangered species and the scientists found the presence of a dog to be threatening, intending to either trap her or worse.
What I liked about the book was that it provided the backstory of who Sophie was before she was lost, the role she played in the family dynamic, what nuances of her personality contributed to her unlikely life on the islands, and just general cattle dog things that helped me connect to Sophie as if it was actually my cattle dog that got lost.
The author parallels Sophie's time on the islands, of which much is speculation and based on rare sightings, with the family's life while she was gone. The children were all grown and on their own, so Sophie was like a 5th child for the family, and the guilt became so bad that the only way they could live was not mention Sophie or even think about her or things she liked. Their loneliness prompted one of the sons to give his parents a red cattle dog, Ruby, for Christmas, and good or bad, she was the complete opposite of Sophie, more of a wild red maniac than the loving lapdog of blue Sophie. From what I've read, the red cattle dogs do tend to be more hyper, and I would definitely put our blue dog in the calmer category.
All in all, a quick read with a happy ending, not a spoiler, as it is clear early on that Sophie does survive her trip at sea. Definitely worth reading for dog lovers, and particularly those who share their lives with a cattle dog.
What I liked about the book was that it provided the backstory of who Sophie was before she was lost, the role she played in the family dynamic, what nuances of her personality contributed to her unlikely life on the islands, and just general cattle dog things that helped me connect to Sophie as if it was actually my cattle dog that got lost.
The author parallels Sophie's time on the islands, of which much is speculation and based on rare sightings, with the family's life while she was gone. The children were all grown and on their own, so Sophie was like a 5th child for the family, and the guilt became so bad that the only way they could live was not mention Sophie or even think about her or things she liked. Their loneliness prompted one of the sons to give his parents a red cattle dog, Ruby, for Christmas, and good or bad, she was the complete opposite of Sophie, more of a wild red maniac than the loving lapdog of blue Sophie. From what I've read, the red cattle dogs do tend to be more hyper, and I would definitely put our blue dog in the calmer category.
All in all, a quick read with a happy ending, not a spoiler, as it is clear early on that Sophie does survive her trip at sea. Definitely worth reading for dog lovers, and particularly those who share their lives with a cattle dog.
February 20, 2017
Who could not love a true story about a dog lost at sea, who swims five miles to an island and survives for several months on her own and is joyfully reunited with her family. It is indeed a lovely story told in detail. Too much detail. I think the story would have lost nothing and gained impact had it been edited down by about a third. (Audiobook)
March 28, 2012
Dave and Jan took their blue cattle dog out on their boat, Sophie disappears in a matter of moments to their disbelief, naturally, they search for her, but due to the weather they finally must give up. Torn apart with grief, they return home devastated. But even in this day and age, miracles DO happen, somehow Sophie not only manages to survive in the shark infested waters, but she comes ashore on an island about 5 nautical miles from where she went overboard. No one will ever know how Sophie manages to survive on two different islands, where she had to learn to feed herself, fortunately, these islands do not have any predators, and as a matter of fact, she becomes a predator to survive, or so it is believed, but survive she does. This takes place in Australia, these two islands are only inhabited by few people and NO domestic animals - they are prohibited on these islands - there are lizards, and koalas and that is about it. Sophie survives, and is finally "trapped" after 6 months, and returned to Dave and Jan.
March 4, 2022
Honestly I thought I would love it because I love cattle dogs. I however chose to stop trying to force myself to finish it.
I found myself bothered from the beginning because how I see a dog in the family seems so different these owners, and the descriptions of Sophie in the PetStore reminded me of such a bigger issue. I don't want to judge people I don't even know but I really found that I was. (Not for the accident that resulted in her going missing, just for like, a lot of other things..).
Beyond that, I felt that the novel was super fluffed up, all I cared about was how she went missing, what they believe happened when she was on the islands, how they captured her and her re-integration into the family. Unfortunately I just couldn't get that far.
Disappointing because I own a cattle dog and adore the breed! Big love for Sophie for surviving and lots of compassion for her family in this tragedy turned survival story, just couldn't stand the book.
I found myself bothered from the beginning because how I see a dog in the family seems so different these owners, and the descriptions of Sophie in the PetStore reminded me of such a bigger issue. I don't want to judge people I don't even know but I really found that I was. (Not for the accident that resulted in her going missing, just for like, a lot of other things..).
Beyond that, I felt that the novel was super fluffed up, all I cared about was how she went missing, what they believe happened when she was on the islands, how they captured her and her re-integration into the family. Unfortunately I just couldn't get that far.
Disappointing because I own a cattle dog and adore the breed! Big love for Sophie for surviving and lots of compassion for her family in this tragedy turned survival story, just couldn't stand the book.
December 5, 2011
I heard about this story from my mother. My parents owned an Australian Cattle Dog for years and couldn't help but perk up anytime they heard about another one. Sophie's story is amazing - she fell overboard while boating with her family one day and then survived for five months on the isolated islands off the Australian coast before being reunited with her family. While the story is gripping, I didn't find this book as good as I hoped because Pearse's writing is very elementary and not at all exciting. Additionally, I'm not sure how many people will remember this story by the time the book is published. Should find an audience among dog lovers.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
September 14, 2012
This is a wonderful story of an incredible dog, a theme that is always a crowd pleaser. The writing is a bit amateurish (her first book), but very readable. For a while, I never thought we would get to the story. Granted, knowing Sophie before her journey, was important--how she was raised, how loved she was, etc. But it began to seem like a proud dog owner gushing about their special dog when it took up the first half of the book. But, being a proud dog owner myself, I sort of understand; it's just that all dogs are special. Then there was the side issue of research on koalas, which was a bit surprising. But overall, I enjoyed the story.
August 31, 2016
I loved this book! Why? because primarily it was about the DOG! So many of the 'true life' animal stories I've read lately claim to be about the animal, then ramble on about other things and conclude hastily as if the animal was the footnote. But here we never forget about Sophie, or how much Jan, Dave and Bridget love her. Every moment of this book is spent comparing Sophie mentally to my own beloved animals, and how I would react to losing them. Plus, it's a good story, and one any animal lover should read. Repeat; loved it!
June 23, 2012
I was thoroughly disappointed with this book. The writing was overrun with way too many ridiculous details and speculations. It would have made a great 75-100 page story, not a 300 page book. Emma Pearse just went on and on in excruciating detail and repetition for way too much of the text. The story itself was amazing--Sophie went overboard and was picked up on St. Bees five months later, and once home, still acted like the loyal, loving companion she had been before (minus scarfing down bones like she was starving) the accident. But the writing definitely gets a thumbs down!!
December 31, 2012
I am always drawn to remarkable dog stories. A member of my family has always had Australian Cattle dogs (blue heelers) so I was very curious. It is a remarkable story of the dog's will and ingenuity to survive. I do feel there was too much unnecessary detail concerning the lives of the family that had little to do with real story of this amazing dog. I found myself thinking, get on with the story already! I got very impatient. Maybe an edit is in order. Amazing dog.
July 22, 2012
The story and the dog are adorable. The writing is horrifically bad. It is so bad that I didn't want to even finish the book, which almost never happens. I love dogs and enjoy stories like this in general, but this book was absolutely terrible. I couldn't recommend it.
September 24, 2012
With many others, I thought the dog aspect was good, but the details were over the top. Who cares if Dave, the father, put a lemon in his Corona.
July 18, 2013
This one did not really live up to my expectation - I have mixed feelings about it.
June 8, 2021
Nice story from Australia and great speculation on how the dog had to survive. And who doesn't love a happy ending :-)
July 18, 2022
This is a heart warming story about Sophie a blue cattle dog who bought happiness and love to the lives of a family in Mackay. Jan and Dave Griffith have a boat which is moored in the Mackay Marina close to their home. They love nothing more than to get away on the boat for a weekend or even just for a day of fishing. Sophie stays in the cabin, never venturing up to the fly bridge or out on the deck even though she follows Dave and Jan around everywhere at home.
On a weekend trip Sophie disappears when Dave has to go up to the fly bridge to help Jan manage the boat through unusual rips. The weather and sea have changed. Dave is gone for only ten minutes and on returning to the cabin he calls Sophie as she is not in her usual place. The unthinkable has happened. Sophie has fallen overboard.
After hours of fruitless searching they must return home where they then live through a torturous five months of grief, guilt, depression and lack of interest in life now that their precious Sophie has gone. But Sophie is a very loyal dog and having her share of luck she is determined to return to her family. What follows is an amazing true story of survival, loyalty and love. Sophie, my tears flowed for your owners but especially for your loyalty. This is a beautiful book that will really touch your emotions.
On a weekend trip Sophie disappears when Dave has to go up to the fly bridge to help Jan manage the boat through unusual rips. The weather and sea have changed. Dave is gone for only ten minutes and on returning to the cabin he calls Sophie as she is not in her usual place. The unthinkable has happened. Sophie has fallen overboard.
After hours of fruitless searching they must return home where they then live through a torturous five months of grief, guilt, depression and lack of interest in life now that their precious Sophie has gone. But Sophie is a very loyal dog and having her share of luck she is determined to return to her family. What follows is an amazing true story of survival, loyalty and love. Sophie, my tears flowed for your owners but especially for your loyalty. This is a beautiful book that will really touch your emotions.
January 30, 2019
Sophie: The Incredible True Story of the Castaway Dog written by Emma Pierce is about a young blue cattle dog named Sophie who gets washed off a boat and survives on her own for months out on St. Bees Island. The book begins in Mackay, Australia with the adoption of Sophie by Bridget Griffith, the youngest child in a large family. Sophie grows up loved by her family and finds herself constantly joining them on the Honey May, their boat. One unfortunate day though, the water turns rough and Sophie goes overboard. This nonfiction novel tells what they assumed happened to Sophie, which includes swimming over five miles in shark-infested water. It also tells of the family's experience in the guilt of letting their beloved dog go overboard.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys true stories about animals. Also, if you’re someone like me, you don’t enjoy reading nonfiction. I found this to be a very enjoyable nonfiction book because it was told in the story of a novel. It’s also slightly different than the traditional informational nonfiction book because it’s a memoir of someone’s life. This book was 338 pages, so not a horribly lengthy read. Overall I would give this book a 3 out of 5. I would give it this rating because I found that the story would seem to babble about non-important events, such as a whole chapter about koalas on St. Bees Island.
December 9, 2021
Wow! I want a dog now even more than I did before. This true story, with many gaps that could only ever be filled by Sophie herself, tells the remarkable tale of an incredible dog and her fierce loyalty to her owners and best friends. I had not heard about Sophie and her remarkable feat of endurance before being lent this book by my son, himself a fierce advocate of the Australian cattle dog. The only way I could get through it was knowing that she does in fact survive. If there had been any hint that she might not, I would have been too broken up to read. As it was, the tears were never far away.
My reason for giving only 4 stars is that I found the time lines in the book a little confusing. A small thing, really, but it was enough for me to find it annoying. Such as whether and when Sophie is allowed indoors or shut outside at night. This, however, did not spoil my enjoyment of this remarkable tale.
My reason for giving only 4 stars is that I found the time lines in the book a little confusing. A small thing, really, but it was enough for me to find it annoying. Such as whether and when Sophie is allowed indoors or shut outside at night. This, however, did not spoil my enjoyment of this remarkable tale.
November 27, 2017
Sophie: The Incredible True Story of The Castaway Dog By Emma Pearce
3★
The fact that it was a true story was enough to make me want to read the book and find out what had happened to Sophie. Unfortunately most of the book is about Sophie's owners. The fairy tale lives of the family was told over and over and over again as well as the "what ifs" concerning the dog's horrible experience. These back stories of insignificant characters was not necessary nor was the repeated daily schedule of the characters. I just wanted to find out what happened to Sophie. Eventually I just skipped over the repetitive descriptions. The parts about Sophie and her ordeal and her amazing rescue were worth the time to read the book.
3★
The fact that it was a true story was enough to make me want to read the book and find out what had happened to Sophie. Unfortunately most of the book is about Sophie's owners. The fairy tale lives of the family was told over and over and over again as well as the "what ifs" concerning the dog's horrible experience. These back stories of insignificant characters was not necessary nor was the repeated daily schedule of the characters. I just wanted to find out what happened to Sophie. Eventually I just skipped over the repetitive descriptions. The parts about Sophie and her ordeal and her amazing rescue were worth the time to read the book.
November 7, 2018
Sophie: Dog Overboard had a good story, however I do not believe that the story was well written. The details did not entice me to keep reading, and frankly, it got quite boring at certain parts in the story. The story also got confusing as well. The story went back and forth near the end, and the author, Emma Pearse, talked about how Sophie was found, then it went back to the process of Sophie being found, a few pages later. The details in this book also were not very good, and so it was hard to imagine the whole situation while reading. Although it is unique, that this book is based off a true story, the story was not well written, and as a result, the story seems boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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