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The Seventh One
A man passes through life possessing in turn seven dogs, each of whom offers him love in a different way. Man's best friend--over time, seven of them belong to Tom Wilson. Each comes in its turn with its own gift--comfort when Tom feels life's deepest wound, purpose when it is time to move ahead.
115 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
36 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Yates
102 books77 followersElizabeth Yates, author of over forty books for children, was born in New York State on December 6th, 1905. Determined to be an author, she moved to New York City to launch her career. She worked a variety of jobs including reviewing book, writing short stories, and doing research. She moved to England with her husband and wrote her first book, High Holiday, based on her travels in Switzerland with her three children. The family returned to the U.S. in 1939 and settled in New Hampshire. Yates won the Newbery Award in 1951 for her book, Amos Fortune, Free Man, a biography of an African prince who is enslaved and taken to America.
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
Yates conducted writer's workshops at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University. She also served as the Director of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.
Yates was widowed in 1963. Elizabeth Yates died Sunday at a hospice in Concord, New Hampshire on July 29, 2001 at the age of 95.
Elizabeth Yates' books have been described as "the result of extensive research, a strong underlying belief in God, and a vivid imagination."
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 5, 2025
Each dog brings its own gift. What can they teach Tom (the MC) and us?
✏️ Review ✏️ [reread]
What a beautifully written canine story! The Seventh One's plot, characters, and writing style are all super enjoyable and lend a measure of satisfaction and warmth to the reader. I loved the story's steady pacing, themes, and atmosphere.
While it might suggest boringness, the steady pacing is actually quite artistically used. It allows the passage of the MC's life to go by almost unnoticed by the reader, further illustrating how quickly life really does fly by for all of us. And what can the dogs that enter Tom's life teach him? They will each in turn teach him about healing, love, compassion, and hope.
From the story's beginning to the end, an entire lifetime passes by for Tom, and this becomes a way for the him and reader to learn many interesting lessons. The thought-provoking nostalgic atmosphere in the story really makes the reader stop and consider the passage of time and life itself — instilling within all who traverse its pages an urging to live in the present, a gratefulness for the memories of the past, and a willing anticipation to embrace the future.
For all who love a good dog story or just want a slow-paced nostalgic story, The Seventh One will be sure to provide an entertaining and satisfying read.
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📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The steady pacing — allows the passage of life to become almost unnoticed by the reader, helping to illustrate how quickly life goes by.
• The themes (live in the present, don't dwell too much in the past, never push love out of your life, etc.).
• The simplistic beauty of the writing.
• The dogs ☺️ (so cute!).
• The characters — slowly but dynamically developed.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• (Can't think of anything atm.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 4/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Mentions twice that dogs go to heaven.
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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "The ranks of the living draw closer together... when someone dear leaves. That's part of the mystery. And the blessing." (p. 5)
✏️ Review ✏️ [reread]
What a beautifully written canine story! The Seventh One's plot, characters, and writing style are all super enjoyable and lend a measure of satisfaction and warmth to the reader. I loved the story's steady pacing, themes, and atmosphere.
While it might suggest boringness, the steady pacing is actually quite artistically used. It allows the passage of the MC's life to go by almost unnoticed by the reader, further illustrating how quickly life really does fly by for all of us. And what can the dogs that enter Tom's life teach him? They will each in turn teach him about healing, love, compassion, and hope.
From the story's beginning to the end, an entire lifetime passes by for Tom, and this becomes a way for the him and reader to learn many interesting lessons. The thought-provoking nostalgic atmosphere in the story really makes the reader stop and consider the passage of time and life itself — instilling within all who traverse its pages an urging to live in the present, a gratefulness for the memories of the past, and a willing anticipation to embrace the future.
For all who love a good dog story or just want a slow-paced nostalgic story, The Seventh One will be sure to provide an entertaining and satisfying read.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The steady pacing — allows the passage of life to become almost unnoticed by the reader, helping to illustrate how quickly life goes by.
• The themes (live in the present, don't dwell too much in the past, never push love out of your life, etc.).
• The simplistic beauty of the writing.
• The dogs ☺️ (so cute!).
• The characters — slowly but dynamically developed.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• (Can't think of anything atm.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 4/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Mentions twice that dogs go to heaven.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "The ranks of the living draw closer together... when someone dear leaves. That's part of the mystery. And the blessing." (p. 5)
January 11, 2020
I first read this book when my dog was a puppy and I told myself I would know when it was time to read it again. That was now, a few months after his death. I have to say, Ms. Yates captures the beauty, joy, and heartbreak of owning a dog in a way that I haven't really seen before. Highly recommended to anyone who has ever loved a dog and is open to having a good cry. I don't know when I'll read it again, but it was exactly what I needed.
November 18, 2014
I never tire of this book. It's a heartwarming, occasionally heartbreaking wander through an entire life, but also seven individual lives within that one. All of the dogs have such distinct personalities and roles in his life (though the one that sticks with me most is Tag - who can forget her tragic fate, only discovered years later?). I recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good dog story.
February 16, 2025
4.5*, my daughter is obsessed with dogs. I don't mind learning about them and they were a part of my childhood but not for the last 30 years. This book made me want to get five of the seven dogs that were a part of Tom's life: a Scottish terrier (Laird), a Sheltie (Dawn, Victor, Nell), and a German shepherd (Una). It wrote about dogs with feeling and love, showcasing their personalities and strengths without needing to turn them in to talking animals. A wonderful tribute to man's best friend.
"You were growing up, and Bre-er was growing old." pg 5
"Pop gave an answer to the feeling that had been growing in Tom. "The ranks of the living draw closer together, Tom, when someone dear leaves. That's part of the mystery. And the blessing." pg 5
"I've learned more from them than I've ever taught them," Tom said, "and I credit them with a knowledge different from ours but no less wonderful." "We think too much!" Julie exclaimed. "An animal responds to something beyond thinking." pg 38
"That was one of the advantages of getting into one's sixties-being able to do what you liked, when you liked, and for as long as you liked." pg 65
"Gareth was smiling. "You're like a dog, Tom, you don't ever say too much." Tom realized it was the highest compliment Gareth could give him." pg 82
"You were growing up, and Bre-er was growing old." pg 5
"Pop gave an answer to the feeling that had been growing in Tom. "The ranks of the living draw closer together, Tom, when someone dear leaves. That's part of the mystery. And the blessing." pg 5
"I've learned more from them than I've ever taught them," Tom said, "and I credit them with a knowledge different from ours but no less wonderful." "We think too much!" Julie exclaimed. "An animal responds to something beyond thinking." pg 38
"That was one of the advantages of getting into one's sixties-being able to do what you liked, when you liked, and for as long as you liked." pg 65
"Gareth was smiling. "You're like a dog, Tom, you don't ever say too much." Tom realized it was the highest compliment Gareth could give him." pg 82
June 19, 2017
A collection of sweet stories about the 7 different dogs a man owned during his lifetime.
September 6, 2021
A gentle sweet read--I'm not a huge dog fan, which is why it's only 3 stars.
October 22, 2022
it did make me cry twice, jiminey cricket do i love dogs
March 5, 2013
Love this book!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews