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Bobby Keeps Watch
90 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 24, 2013
This story was written about a real little dog, a faithful Skye terrier named Bobby. For more than fourteen years Bobby overcame many obstacles so he could always return to the mound of dirt in Greyfriar's Churchyard where his master lay in his grave. The author took facts of Bobby's life and wove them into a heartwarming story. This was another favorite of mine that I returned over and over to.
December 9, 2024
The true story of a dog named Bobby in Scotland who refused to leave the cemetery where his owner was buried. His collar and food dish are in the Huntly House Museum, and there is a memorial statue of him outside Greyfriars Church and Churchyard. Beautiful story. 5 stars
November 19, 2024
Another listen on our last road trip. Delightfully fun story. I wish the old man would have known how faithful his friend was! It was so neat how Bobby became a well loved friend to so many.
April 5, 2017
“If anyone could look under this rough coat of yours, he’d find a heart as loyal and true as has ever been on the face of this earth. No human could be more faithful or show more devotion than you have.”
The enduring legend of Greyfriars Bobby has lend itself to many interpretations of the original story and Hester Monsma pitches her book squarely at younger readers, with a strong, sweet Christian undertone to the re-telling. In this version, John Gray (Auld Jock) is a simple Scottish shepherd, a God-fearing man who counts his battered Bible among his few possessions, until ill health forces him to move from the small farm where he has lived alone since the death of his wife and child into cheap lodgings within nearby Edinburgh. John is no sooner installed in these spartan surroundings when he succumbs at last to his illness and is buried within the cemetery of Greyfriars Church, whereupon his beloved Bobby begins his faithful vigil at his masters graveside and the legend of the devoted little Skye terrier grows.
Friendship and fidelity, love and loneliness are the themes that wind throughout this beautiful little book. Bobby’s unstinting devotion and dedication to not leaving his master earns him the admiration and loyalty in turn of a host of supporting characters, from the caretaker of the church, James Brown (plenty of soul here brother!) to the proprietor of the restaurant where Bobby religiously returns each day for his beloved bun treat, to the hordes of children from the Edinburgh tenements who befriend Bobby and keep him company throughout the long years after John’s death. In time, Bobby becomes famous for his faithfulness, drawing the attention of everyone from the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to Queen Victoria herself, so much so that when Bobby also inevitably and sadly passes away and goes to rejoin his master at last, he too is buried within the grounds of Greyfriars Church and a monument is erected to honour this “most unusual dog.”
While the veracity of Greyfriars Bobby is seemingly open to questioning the real truth of his story is that Bobby has become a shining symbol of the love and loyalty animals bestow on us and the light this brings into our lives. It is astonishing to think that Bobby was probably only in the care of John Gray for about a year and yet went on to spend the rest of his own short life mourning and missing his master every day. It truly is a love that surpasses all understanding and, much like the similar tale of Australia’s Red Dog, never fails to bring tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat every time I read his simple story. Whether you believe in God or religion will not matter as you read Bobby Keeps Watch, but this touching tale of a humble little creature and his sacrifice may just leave you wondering if such a higher power could exist and is maybe showing us a better way to live through the wordless teachings and example of a shaggy, bright eyed Terrier with a big heart and a fearless determination to love.
The enduring legend of Greyfriars Bobby has lend itself to many interpretations of the original story and Hester Monsma pitches her book squarely at younger readers, with a strong, sweet Christian undertone to the re-telling. In this version, John Gray (Auld Jock) is a simple Scottish shepherd, a God-fearing man who counts his battered Bible among his few possessions, until ill health forces him to move from the small farm where he has lived alone since the death of his wife and child into cheap lodgings within nearby Edinburgh. John is no sooner installed in these spartan surroundings when he succumbs at last to his illness and is buried within the cemetery of Greyfriars Church, whereupon his beloved Bobby begins his faithful vigil at his masters graveside and the legend of the devoted little Skye terrier grows.
Friendship and fidelity, love and loneliness are the themes that wind throughout this beautiful little book. Bobby’s unstinting devotion and dedication to not leaving his master earns him the admiration and loyalty in turn of a host of supporting characters, from the caretaker of the church, James Brown (plenty of soul here brother!) to the proprietor of the restaurant where Bobby religiously returns each day for his beloved bun treat, to the hordes of children from the Edinburgh tenements who befriend Bobby and keep him company throughout the long years after John’s death. In time, Bobby becomes famous for his faithfulness, drawing the attention of everyone from the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to Queen Victoria herself, so much so that when Bobby also inevitably and sadly passes away and goes to rejoin his master at last, he too is buried within the grounds of Greyfriars Church and a monument is erected to honour this “most unusual dog.”
While the veracity of Greyfriars Bobby is seemingly open to questioning the real truth of his story is that Bobby has become a shining symbol of the love and loyalty animals bestow on us and the light this brings into our lives. It is astonishing to think that Bobby was probably only in the care of John Gray for about a year and yet went on to spend the rest of his own short life mourning and missing his master every day. It truly is a love that surpasses all understanding and, much like the similar tale of Australia’s Red Dog, never fails to bring tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat every time I read his simple story. Whether you believe in God or religion will not matter as you read Bobby Keeps Watch, but this touching tale of a humble little creature and his sacrifice may just leave you wondering if such a higher power could exist and is maybe showing us a better way to live through the wordless teachings and example of a shaggy, bright eyed Terrier with a big heart and a fearless determination to love.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews