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A Dog's Way Home
Daddy says, "Most folks got a north star in their life—something that gives their life extra meaning. Mine is music."Abby knows that Tam, her Shetland sheepdog, is her north star, and she's pretty certain she's his, too. But when an accident separates Abby and Tam, it feels as though all the stars have fallen out of the sky and nothing will ever be right again. As the days between them turn to weeks, then months, dangers and changes fill up Abby's and Tam's lives. Will they ever find their way home to each other?
Without even thinking, I say, "Mine is Tam."
Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, A Dog's Way Home is an unforgettable tale of the many miles, months, and mountains that divide two loyal friends—but that can't possibly keep them apart.
321 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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1638 people want to read
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March 30, 2011
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BOOK:
Abby and her Shetland sheepdog, Tam, spend hours every day practicing for agility training trials and simply enjoying one another’s company. That all changes the day Abby and her Mom have an accident on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Heading home to NC from a competition in Virginia, their pick-up truck travels headlong into a tree, sending Tam’s crate tumbling down a mountainside. Tam manages to free himself from the crate before he’s drowned in a mountain stream, but in the course of that he’s carried far away from the accident scene – too far for anyone to find him.
What begins is a 400-mile journey for Tam, whose deep devotion to “his girl” finds him traveling for months through rough territory and many painful encounters with other animals, other people, and terrible winter weather. Abby, meanwhile, endures the hardships of a life with little family income, a father doggedly pursuing his musician dreams, a mother struggling to help all of them, a new house/school/town, and a terrible grief over the dog she lost – a dog she believes is still alive and trying to reach her.
The story alternates between Abby’s perspective (in the first person) and Tam’s (in the third), giving the reader a full picture of how both are trying desperately to find their way back to one another. While Abby wonders about Tam, she and her parents move to Nashville, where she is surprised to find a new friend in a seemingly rough-edged girl whose father is a wealthy and famous country music star. This diversion away from the central plot adds depth to the story and brings some nice friendship components to the plot. Meanwhile, Abby’s feelings of desperation and singular sense of purpose to find Tam are achingly believable.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT:
I thought this book was wonderful. It’s engaging, heart-warming, moving and an absolute “must read” for young animal lovers. I was completely absorbed by the story and very much taken with Abby and Tam – both of whom are characters kids will relate to, like, and find themselves rooting for. I think this is one of the most kid-friendly books I’ve read all year, but it’s certain to please a LOT of adults too!
This book would be a terrific choice for book groups, and teachers will find numerous ways to use it in a classroom. Students could draw “story maps” like Abby does, plotting the book’s major events on a map, along with the dates when those events happened. They could plot Tam’s progress, too, calculate his speed of travel, and make predictions about when and where he’s likely to arrive next. Also on the topic of making predictions, kids will no doubt want to talk about how Abby and her grandmother both believe that they can “see” Tam via dreams or an ESP-like ability they refer to as “the Sight.” Agility training is another topic young readers will want to learn more about, and it’s a great topic to explore in the context of encouraging fitness – both for people and their pets. Homeschoolers will like learning that Abby (who is very bright) was homeschooled until just two years prior to the events in this story.
One more note: A similar construction (alternating perspectives, first & third person narration) and common themes (rural life, friendship between kids from different socio-economic groups) makes this book an interesting one to pair with Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Abby and her Shetland sheepdog, Tam, spend hours every day practicing for agility training trials and simply enjoying one another’s company. That all changes the day Abby and her Mom have an accident on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Heading home to NC from a competition in Virginia, their pick-up truck travels headlong into a tree, sending Tam’s crate tumbling down a mountainside. Tam manages to free himself from the crate before he’s drowned in a mountain stream, but in the course of that he’s carried far away from the accident scene – too far for anyone to find him.
What begins is a 400-mile journey for Tam, whose deep devotion to “his girl” finds him traveling for months through rough territory and many painful encounters with other animals, other people, and terrible winter weather. Abby, meanwhile, endures the hardships of a life with little family income, a father doggedly pursuing his musician dreams, a mother struggling to help all of them, a new house/school/town, and a terrible grief over the dog she lost – a dog she believes is still alive and trying to reach her.
The story alternates between Abby’s perspective (in the first person) and Tam’s (in the third), giving the reader a full picture of how both are trying desperately to find their way back to one another. While Abby wonders about Tam, she and her parents move to Nashville, where she is surprised to find a new friend in a seemingly rough-edged girl whose father is a wealthy and famous country music star. This diversion away from the central plot adds depth to the story and brings some nice friendship components to the plot. Meanwhile, Abby’s feelings of desperation and singular sense of purpose to find Tam are achingly believable.
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT:
I thought this book was wonderful. It’s engaging, heart-warming, moving and an absolute “must read” for young animal lovers. I was completely absorbed by the story and very much taken with Abby and Tam – both of whom are characters kids will relate to, like, and find themselves rooting for. I think this is one of the most kid-friendly books I’ve read all year, but it’s certain to please a LOT of adults too!
This book would be a terrific choice for book groups, and teachers will find numerous ways to use it in a classroom. Students could draw “story maps” like Abby does, plotting the book’s major events on a map, along with the dates when those events happened. They could plot Tam’s progress, too, calculate his speed of travel, and make predictions about when and where he’s likely to arrive next. Also on the topic of making predictions, kids will no doubt want to talk about how Abby and her grandmother both believe that they can “see” Tam via dreams or an ESP-like ability they refer to as “the Sight.” Agility training is another topic young readers will want to learn more about, and it’s a great topic to explore in the context of encouraging fitness – both for people and their pets. Homeschoolers will like learning that Abby (who is very bright) was homeschooled until just two years prior to the events in this story.
One more note: A similar construction (alternating perspectives, first & third person narration) and common themes (rural life, friendship between kids from different socio-economic groups) makes this book an interesting one to pair with Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
November 15, 2017
Awwww. My poor little fragile animal-lover heart just broke into a million pieces
January 7, 2021
All Tam knew was that she was calling. For all the years he could remember, this voice was his world, his compass. And when the person he loves most in the world calls, a dog can do nothing but go."
If this book isn't a tear-jerker, I'm not sure what is.
I read this a few years ago, and I can remember my exact reaction the first time I finished it. I was in my English class, doing perfectly fine, until that moment when there was suddenly all of these tears welled up inside me. It took a fair amount of self-control and a whole lot of holding my breath in order for me not to start sobbing. However, reading it this time around, there was no public setting holding me back from crying like an abandoned puppy.
A Dog's Way Home (not to be confused with W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Way Home) is the story of two best friends: eleven-year-old Abby Whistler and her Shetland sheepdog, Tam. They're everything to each other, and are never seen apart. That is, until a tragic accident leaves Tam hundreds of miles away from anything he's ever known.
This is not only the journey of a dog loyal beyond imagining- it's also the story of a girl learning to grow up and deal with the changes in her life. After they're separated, Abby and Tam each become so different than who they were before (which is a darn good reason to cry a little). They face challenges and obstacles that they must overcome without the other at their side.
Something I found myself adoring about this book was the setting, because if it had been any different I know without a doubt that the story wouldn't have been as good. The Blue Ridge Mountains hold a magical, ethereal feeling, but within them are kept many secrets and dangers. It took Tam a lot more than instinct and wit to survive.
This tale is one that I'll find myself remembering many years in the future. The way the story is told- from the perspectives of both girl and dog- is quite unique. The course of the plot isn't too notoriously drawn out, and the ending wraps up everything just perfectly. I wish there was an epilogue, but I never seem to get those when I want them (haha).
As animal books go, this one is by far the best I've read. If you're a lover of those sad-but-happy books, the ones that make you smile and cry at the same time, I recommend this one!
If this book isn't a tear-jerker, I'm not sure what is.
I read this a few years ago, and I can remember my exact reaction the first time I finished it. I was in my English class, doing perfectly fine, until that moment when there was suddenly all of these tears welled up inside me. It took a fair amount of self-control and a whole lot of holding my breath in order for me not to start sobbing. However, reading it this time around, there was no public setting holding me back from crying like an abandoned puppy.
A Dog's Way Home (not to be confused with W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Way Home) is the story of two best friends: eleven-year-old Abby Whistler and her Shetland sheepdog, Tam. They're everything to each other, and are never seen apart. That is, until a tragic accident leaves Tam hundreds of miles away from anything he's ever known.
This is not only the journey of a dog loyal beyond imagining- it's also the story of a girl learning to grow up and deal with the changes in her life. After they're separated, Abby and Tam each become so different than who they were before (which is a darn good reason to cry a little). They face challenges and obstacles that they must overcome without the other at their side.
Something I found myself adoring about this book was the setting, because if it had been any different I know without a doubt that the story wouldn't have been as good. The Blue Ridge Mountains hold a magical, ethereal feeling, but within them are kept many secrets and dangers. It took Tam a lot more than instinct and wit to survive.
This tale is one that I'll find myself remembering many years in the future. The way the story is told- from the perspectives of both girl and dog- is quite unique. The course of the plot isn't too notoriously drawn out, and the ending wraps up everything just perfectly. I wish there was an epilogue, but I never seem to get those when I want them (haha).
As animal books go, this one is by far the best I've read. If you're a lover of those sad-but-happy books, the ones that make you smile and cry at the same time, I recommend this one!
December 5, 2022
Eleven-year-old Abby Whistler and her Shetland sheepdog, Tam, are inseparable. Not only is Tam an agility champion, he is Abby’s world…and she is his. But an unexpected detour leads to a terrible accident that tears Tam from Abby. As the days turn into weeks and fall gives way to the harshness of winter, can Tam find his way from Virginia back to North Carolina where home and his girl is?
Pyron checks all the boxes with this book. A Dog’s Way Home is non-stop action and suspense with whole lot of heart. Short chapters and alternating points of views—between Abby and third-person POV for Tam—ensure that readers stay engaged and fully committed to these characters and their individual struggles as one fights to survive in the harsh wilderness while the other navigates foreign situations in a big city.
There are a couple of things that really made this an exceptional read for young readers. First is that Pyron chose NOT to write down to her audience by having Tam be the narrator of his own story. Having the scene described by an arbitrary third party lends a starkness and cold reality to Tam’s situation, which only heightens the drama and urgency of his predicament. Second is the cruel reality of Tam’s situation. He is an animal suddenly faced with either starvation or survival and as his natural instincts kick in, so does the necessity to eat, and in order to eat one must kill.
Anyone who has ever cared for a dog will feel their heart being twisted and squeezed within their chest as Tam battles everything from the weather to wild animals and ruthless humans. Side note: a lot of well-meaning men who are protecting their loved ones or just doing their jobs really get the short end of the stick in this book and ultimately come across as villains. I expect that by the end of this book, many young readers will despise just about every adult in this book…except Meemaw, Abby’s grandmother.
Part Lassie Come-Home and part The Incredible Journey, A Dog’s Way Home will engross readers from beginning to end with messages of hope, perseverance, acceptance, and love. Most of all, it will challenge readers to reassess what’s truly important since material trappings never hold their shimmer for very long. As Meemaw said to Abby, “Sometimes the thing you think is the most important isn’t that big a deal, once you have it.”
We’re now posting videos of some of our book reviews! Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedustyjacket or on Instagram @tdjreviews and join in on the fun!
Pyron checks all the boxes with this book. A Dog’s Way Home is non-stop action and suspense with whole lot of heart. Short chapters and alternating points of views—between Abby and third-person POV for Tam—ensure that readers stay engaged and fully committed to these characters and their individual struggles as one fights to survive in the harsh wilderness while the other navigates foreign situations in a big city.
There are a couple of things that really made this an exceptional read for young readers. First is that Pyron chose NOT to write down to her audience by having Tam be the narrator of his own story. Having the scene described by an arbitrary third party lends a starkness and cold reality to Tam’s situation, which only heightens the drama and urgency of his predicament. Second is the cruel reality of Tam’s situation. He is an animal suddenly faced with either starvation or survival and as his natural instincts kick in, so does the necessity to eat, and in order to eat one must kill.
Anyone who has ever cared for a dog will feel their heart being twisted and squeezed within their chest as Tam battles everything from the weather to wild animals and ruthless humans. Side note: a lot of well-meaning men who are protecting their loved ones or just doing their jobs really get the short end of the stick in this book and ultimately come across as villains. I expect that by the end of this book, many young readers will despise just about every adult in this book…except Meemaw, Abby’s grandmother.
Part Lassie Come-Home and part The Incredible Journey, A Dog’s Way Home will engross readers from beginning to end with messages of hope, perseverance, acceptance, and love. Most of all, it will challenge readers to reassess what’s truly important since material trappings never hold their shimmer for very long. As Meemaw said to Abby, “Sometimes the thing you think is the most important isn’t that big a deal, once you have it.”
We’re now posting videos of some of our book reviews! Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thedustyjacket or on Instagram @tdjreviews and join in on the fun!
March 19, 2013
Funny story about this book - While I was reading, I came to the part where Tam winds up at an animal shelter in North Carolina (FINALLY, right?) The shelter scans for his microchip and discovers that he belongs to Abby Whistler from Harmony Gap. At this point in the book, Abby has moved with her parents to Nashville, but her grandmother still lives in Harmony Gap so she ought to be able to get a message to Abby, right? Except in the very next chapter, we learn that Meemaw has chosen THAT week to pay a visit to Abby and her family in Nashville and consequently cannot answer her phone.
It was as this point that I actually yelled at Meemaw for going on vacation. And my roommate came running because she thought something was actually, legitimately wrong. But all I had to do was hold up the book I was reading and say "THIS BOOK!" and she understood perfectly (my roommate knows me so well).
So, yes - "A Dog's Way Home" - this book made me want to take a few days off and run home to see my dog (well, actually she's my parents' dog, but that creature has been a faithful companion through more than one evening in the ranch house by myself when I lived with my folks). I defy anyone who has owned a dog and loved it not to get emotional at this story. I actually had to read the last page before I started because I cannot handle books where the dog dies at the end - and I found out that Tam does live, so I could read the book. But that doesn't mean that there aren't some really scary moments for the little Sheltie. I did love how the chapters alternated between Abby's POV and Tam's POV - I don't know of many other books that do that (not having read "The Incredible Journey" or "Old Yeller" - I know, I'm a bad librarian).
There is more to this than Tam's adventure and Abby feeling separated from her friend - Abby has to learn how to move on with her life when she starts to accept that she may never see Tam again. I love how she reaches out to a new friend in her new home - and that friend turns out not to be such stuck-up snob. Plus this new friend, Cheyenne, is instrumental in finding Tam in the end, so who's happy that she befriended the social outcast?
This is a very enjoyable story and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves dogs or who loves stories about dogs.
It was as this point that I actually yelled at Meemaw for going on vacation. And my roommate came running because she thought something was actually, legitimately wrong. But all I had to do was hold up the book I was reading and say "THIS BOOK!" and she understood perfectly (my roommate knows me so well).
So, yes - "A Dog's Way Home" - this book made me want to take a few days off and run home to see my dog (well, actually she's my parents' dog, but that creature has been a faithful companion through more than one evening in the ranch house by myself when I lived with my folks). I defy anyone who has owned a dog and loved it not to get emotional at this story. I actually had to read the last page before I started because I cannot handle books where the dog dies at the end - and I found out that Tam does live, so I could read the book. But that doesn't mean that there aren't some really scary moments for the little Sheltie. I did love how the chapters alternated between Abby's POV and Tam's POV - I don't know of many other books that do that (not having read "The Incredible Journey" or "Old Yeller" - I know, I'm a bad librarian).
There is more to this than Tam's adventure and Abby feeling separated from her friend - Abby has to learn how to move on with her life when she starts to accept that she may never see Tam again. I love how she reaches out to a new friend in her new home - and that friend turns out not to be such stuck-up snob. Plus this new friend, Cheyenne, is instrumental in finding Tam in the end, so who's happy that she befriended the social outcast?
This is a very enjoyable story and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves dogs or who loves stories about dogs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2015
Originally posted on Small Review
3.5 stars
There seems to be an endless supply of animal stories where the creature conquers great adversity to be reunited with the love of its human companion. A Dog's Way Home did not stand out in the genre for me, but it did warm my heart, which is exactly what a book like this should do.
Rocky start
A Dog's Way Home alternates chapters between Abby's first person narration and Tam's journey (narrated in the third person). At first I wondered why Abby's sections were there and if they could possibly be interesting. Maybe it's because I'm a dog lover, but I wanted to focus on Tam's journey and I was bored and frustrated for the first quarter whenever the focus shifted back to Abby's life.
The Abby parts were especially annoying to me in the beginning (I get it, you want your dog back. You miss him. You HAVE TO DROP EVERYTHING AND FIND HIM NOW!), which I'm sure makes me sound cold hearted. But I'm not, I swear!
Really, I can totally empathize with Abby and if I was in her position I would move mountains to get my dog back. But when reading a book? It got kind of annoying hearing the same thing over and over in each chapter. BUT...
More than expected
After a little while Abby's chapters started to get more interesting as her own journey began to take shape. Tucked between the dog story is a contemporary book about family and friendship that contained unexpected depth, heart, and insight.
While this may sound like a cluttered plot, Bobbie Pyron skillfully wove the threads together to make a balanced and well-paced story with the contemporary sections beautifully complementing the animal journey.
I don't love contemporary issues like this so I wasn't in love with it, but it was nicely done. These Abby chapters were filled with enough plot and depth that they could easily stand on their own without the Tam parts (but I'm glad the Tam parts are there too).
Little puppet made of pine
Though I did warm to Abby's chapters, I never warmed to Abby herself. I like her because I can connect with her over our shared love of dogs, but other than that she actually irritated me. It's hard for me to pinpoint exactly why I didn't click with her, but I think part of it is that she didn't ring entirely true to me.
To me she read more like an adult trying to sound like a kid than like an actual kid. The other children were less fleshed out, but they also felt a little off and I had a hard time connecting with or deeply caring for any of them. In contrast, Abby's parents, the other adult characters, and Tam all felt a lot more genuine and I cared for all of them.
STOP HURTING PUPPIES! Please?
Poor Tam goes through horrible experiences. Now, ok, I didn't expect a cakewalk here, but I was hoping for something more on the level of Homeward Bound (Disney's G-rated movie) than the more realistic bleeding and broken puppy I got.
It wasn't all a downer and Tam does encounter a lot of heartwarming help along the way, but prepare for something a little more PG than G.
The worst for me was an event that occurred on page 112. I almost DNF-ed the book right then and there (though I'm glad I didn't). If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to just skip right over chapter 20 entirely. Animal softies like me might wish to do the same.
Bottom line
A Dog's Way Home was a solid animal story and I'm happy to have read it (even if it did make me miss my dog like crazy). It is clear Bobbie Pyron is a dog lover and she writes about dogs--both from their POV and the POV of those who love them--with care and insight.
A Dog's Way Home is likely to be a hit with animal and contemporary lovers. A good fit for the classroom, though probably better suited for older elementary to MG readers. Adult readers might appreciate the development of the parents.
Originally posted on Small Review
3.5 stars
There seems to be an endless supply of animal stories where the creature conquers great adversity to be reunited with the love of its human companion. A Dog's Way Home did not stand out in the genre for me, but it did warm my heart, which is exactly what a book like this should do.
Rocky start
A Dog's Way Home alternates chapters between Abby's first person narration and Tam's journey (narrated in the third person). At first I wondered why Abby's sections were there and if they could possibly be interesting. Maybe it's because I'm a dog lover, but I wanted to focus on Tam's journey and I was bored and frustrated for the first quarter whenever the focus shifted back to Abby's life.
The Abby parts were especially annoying to me in the beginning (I get it, you want your dog back. You miss him. You HAVE TO DROP EVERYTHING AND FIND HIM NOW!), which I'm sure makes me sound cold hearted. But I'm not, I swear!
Really, I can totally empathize with Abby and if I was in her position I would move mountains to get my dog back. But when reading a book? It got kind of annoying hearing the same thing over and over in each chapter. BUT...
More than expected
After a little while Abby's chapters started to get more interesting as her own journey began to take shape. Tucked between the dog story is a contemporary book about family and friendship that contained unexpected depth, heart, and insight.
While this may sound like a cluttered plot, Bobbie Pyron skillfully wove the threads together to make a balanced and well-paced story with the contemporary sections beautifully complementing the animal journey.
I don't love contemporary issues like this so I wasn't in love with it, but it was nicely done. These Abby chapters were filled with enough plot and depth that they could easily stand on their own without the Tam parts (but I'm glad the Tam parts are there too).
Little puppet made of pine
Though I did warm to Abby's chapters, I never warmed to Abby herself. I like her because I can connect with her over our shared love of dogs, but other than that she actually irritated me. It's hard for me to pinpoint exactly why I didn't click with her, but I think part of it is that she didn't ring entirely true to me.
To me she read more like an adult trying to sound like a kid than like an actual kid. The other children were less fleshed out, but they also felt a little off and I had a hard time connecting with or deeply caring for any of them. In contrast, Abby's parents, the other adult characters, and Tam all felt a lot more genuine and I cared for all of them.
STOP HURTING PUPPIES! Please?
Poor Tam goes through horrible experiences. Now, ok, I didn't expect a cakewalk here, but I was hoping for something more on the level of Homeward Bound (Disney's G-rated movie) than the more realistic bleeding and broken puppy I got.
It wasn't all a downer and Tam does encounter a lot of heartwarming help along the way, but prepare for something a little more PG than G.
The worst for me was an event that occurred on page 112. I almost DNF-ed the book right then and there (though I'm glad I didn't). If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to just skip right over chapter 20 entirely. Animal softies like me might wish to do the same.
Bottom line
A Dog's Way Home was a solid animal story and I'm happy to have read it (even if it did make me miss my dog like crazy). It is clear Bobbie Pyron is a dog lover and she writes about dogs--both from their POV and the POV of those who love them--with care and insight.
A Dog's Way Home is likely to be a hit with animal and contemporary lovers. A good fit for the classroom, though probably better suited for older elementary to MG readers. Adult readers might appreciate the development of the parents.
Originally posted on Small Review
November 18, 2015
I bought this book a few years ago as well, and a few months ago, I decided to read all of the books on my shelf that I have not read yet, and this was one of them. This is about a sheltie that gets lost on a highway after a car crash, and the dog's owner tries to find him. This has the POV of both the girl and the dog, and the chapters are short, since it is for kids. This is a heartbreaking story of a girl trying to find her missing dog, and I loved it! Some parts were quite frustrating, like the many things that got in the way of the dog finding his way home. Anyway, I love this book, and would definitely recommend it to younger readers.
January 13, 2024
Super toll ein wunderschönes Buch
March 30, 2011
All Abby needs in life is Tam, her beloved Shetland sheepdog. When the two are doing agility training, Abby doesn’t have to even speak to give cues to Tam, their relationship is that strong. But when Abby’s family is in a car accident, Tam’s crate is thrown from the truck and the two are separated by the Blue Ridge Mountains. Abby needs Tam and Tam needs Abby, and they’ll stop at nothing to find each other.
I tend to classify dog books in my own way. There are books that are about dogs and then are dog books. The latter seem to me to focus on the wonderful bond dog owners have with their animals and where the dog character is as good as real to a reader, as thoroughly imagined as any dog I might own. A Dog’s Way Home falls in that category.
This stirring and thrilling read is the perfect descendant of classic dog stories like Lad, Lassie Come Home, and The Incredible Journey. At its core is a simple story: The love of a dog and his master. I loved Abby, her spunk and good nature were so endearing, but the chapters featuring Tam’s point of view were my favorite part of this book. Each chapter’s simple prose deepened the story, including this passage below – which caused me to cry even typing it!
“He did not know that between him and the girl lay miles of rhohodendron and mountain laurel so thick a person couldn’t push through it. He could not know that it would take hours to work his way back upstream.
All he knew was she was calling. For all his years he could remember, this voice was his world, his compass. And when the person he loves most in the world calls, a dog can do nothing but go.” Chapter 6, A Dog’s Way Home.
A Dog’s Way Home is full of passages like the above. Oh this little dog goes through such peril! He’s befriended and helped along the way but each chapter you’re wondering what’s next for this sweet dog? And Abby herself grows as she grows accustomed to a new school and makes new friends. It’s perfect for middle readers (and adult readers) with just the right amount of peril, family drama, friendship issues, nature, and more.
One of the covers for Lassie Come Home
Bobbie Pyron’s novel left me sobbing after I read it in a single sitting and I was very tempted to peek at the last chapter to see how it ended. I remembered my first dog, a darling little Daschund mix named Skittle. I adored that little dog and also went through a big Lassie phase as a kid, watching hours of the tv show (and movies). A Dog’s Way Home speaks to the child in me with its adventure and the adult in me with its heart.
Be sure to notice the cover art. Isn’t it wonderful? It reminds me of one of the original covers for Lassie Come Home. ‘
I’m calling it..this book will be nominated for a Newberry.
I tend to classify dog books in my own way. There are books that are about dogs and then are dog books. The latter seem to me to focus on the wonderful bond dog owners have with their animals and where the dog character is as good as real to a reader, as thoroughly imagined as any dog I might own. A Dog’s Way Home falls in that category.
This stirring and thrilling read is the perfect descendant of classic dog stories like Lad, Lassie Come Home, and The Incredible Journey. At its core is a simple story: The love of a dog and his master. I loved Abby, her spunk and good nature were so endearing, but the chapters featuring Tam’s point of view were my favorite part of this book. Each chapter’s simple prose deepened the story, including this passage below – which caused me to cry even typing it!
“He did not know that between him and the girl lay miles of rhohodendron and mountain laurel so thick a person couldn’t push through it. He could not know that it would take hours to work his way back upstream.
All he knew was she was calling. For all his years he could remember, this voice was his world, his compass. And when the person he loves most in the world calls, a dog can do nothing but go.” Chapter 6, A Dog’s Way Home.
A Dog’s Way Home is full of passages like the above. Oh this little dog goes through such peril! He’s befriended and helped along the way but each chapter you’re wondering what’s next for this sweet dog? And Abby herself grows as she grows accustomed to a new school and makes new friends. It’s perfect for middle readers (and adult readers) with just the right amount of peril, family drama, friendship issues, nature, and more.
One of the covers for Lassie Come Home
Bobbie Pyron’s novel left me sobbing after I read it in a single sitting and I was very tempted to peek at the last chapter to see how it ended. I remembered my first dog, a darling little Daschund mix named Skittle. I adored that little dog and also went through a big Lassie phase as a kid, watching hours of the tv show (and movies). A Dog’s Way Home speaks to the child in me with its adventure and the adult in me with its heart.
Be sure to notice the cover art. Isn’t it wonderful? It reminds me of one of the original covers for Lassie Come Home. ‘
I’m calling it..this book will be nominated for a Newberry.
April 7, 2011
11yr old Abby and her dog Tam are Dog Agility champions. After another win in Virginia, there's car accident on the way home to Harmony Gap, NC. Tam's cage which was in the back of the truck was thrown over during the accident. Now Abby is trying to find Tam and he's trying to find his way home. The chapters alternate between the two.
Once Tam was lost it was his story I was most interested in. One thing I loved about Tam, he wasn't an extraordinary or overly smart dog. He was simply a regular Sheltie, following his instincts to get home. Sometimes I read dog stories and wonder, how does this dog know so much.* I never got that feeling with Tam. His journey was very long and I was caught up in it and my heart when out to him many times.
I was so caught up in Tam's story, but its to the author's credit that I never once considered skipping Abby's story. As much as I wanted to know what was happening to Tam, Abby part still held me. Pyron gave equal amount of time to both stories. Somewhere along way I was more invested in Abby's. The story spanned months, Abby's life wasn't put on hold. She still had to navigate middle school and make friends. The author also took the time to develop the characters around Abby. I really enjoyed the dad's love of music . I loved getting an unexpected taste of country music scene in Nashville.
Though it always came back to Tam and Abby. When I started reading, I didn't think it was going to have an Old Yeller ending (it wasn't) and I still got choked up. There's one at the line at the end that will stay with me for a very long time. A Dog's Way Home was a pleasure to read and I loved losing myself in it. A must read for anyone who loves dog stories.
Once Tam was lost it was his story I was most interested in. One thing I loved about Tam, he wasn't an extraordinary or overly smart dog. He was simply a regular Sheltie, following his instincts to get home. Sometimes I read dog stories and wonder, how does this dog know so much.* I never got that feeling with Tam. His journey was very long and I was caught up in it and my heart when out to him many times.
I was so caught up in Tam's story, but its to the author's credit that I never once considered skipping Abby's story. As much as I wanted to know what was happening to Tam, Abby part still held me. Pyron gave equal amount of time to both stories. Somewhere along way I was more invested in Abby's. The story spanned months, Abby's life wasn't put on hold. She still had to navigate middle school and make friends. The author also took the time to develop the characters around Abby. I really enjoyed the dad's love of music . I loved getting an unexpected taste of country music scene in Nashville.
Though it always came back to Tam and Abby. When I started reading, I didn't think it was going to have an Old Yeller ending (it wasn't) and I still got choked up. There's one at the line at the end that will stay with me for a very long time. A Dog's Way Home was a pleasure to read and I loved losing myself in it. A must read for anyone who loves dog stories.
December 7, 2011
I found myself really enjoying this book. I was afraid at first that it would be kind of slow, but it wasn't at all. At least, I didn't find it so. The story moves quickly from the time that Abby and Tam get separated. The alternating accounts (Abby and Tam) could have slowed the story down, but it didn't. I found myself anxious to find out what would happen next in the story. Tam's predicament tugged at my heartstrings and I found myself cheering him on in his struggle. There is one part of the story that I connected to especially well. I won't mention what that was in order to avoid spoiling the story for future readers. Just know that something similar happened to one of my family's pet cats when I was younger, it resulted in us having to put Sparky to sleep. At this point in the story I wanted to jump into it and give someone a piece of my mind. To me this is always the best sign of a book that passes just good and jumps to great, a book that makes the reader care so much about the characters that they seem real. The writing is excellent, but secondary to the story, also a sign of a great book. The gorgeous cover helps too, there is something very appealing about shelties that the cover shows beautifully. I highly recommend this story for all those who enjoy a story about survival, hope, love, and sacrifice.
May 2, 2011
My 11-year old son (whose favorite genre is fantasy) LOVED this book, and predicts that it will win the Newbery. He has noticed that recent winners usually convey strong emotion, and this book does that well. I liked the alternating perspectives of girl and dog, and was drawn into the emotional worlds and dramas of both their lives. Both story lines developed unexpectedly strong and engaging supporting characters (Cheyenne and the coyote in particular). The Blue Ridge mountain setting is captivating (though perhaps I'm biased by my family roots in the mountains of NC!). My hesitations about the Newbery quality of the book are two: the story line is not entirely original -- the author makes homage to (and even mentions in the book)"The Incredible Journey" and "Lassie-Come-Home" -- and the weakness of a few scenes, in particular the end of the book, where the events became less believable or logical. (Where did Abby's parents suddenly appear from? How did the truck make it past the closed barricade?) With a little suspension of disbelief, though, it is a charming read and emotionally satisfying story.
January 18, 2013
In many ways, it read like a junior version of Lassie Come Home. If the book was all from Tam's POV, it would have been perfect, as he was a sweetheart of a pup and I loved reading about his adventures, even when they were hard to make myself keep reading.
Unfortunately, the other half was populated with stupid people: a girl with such atrocious grammar she should be embarrassed to talk, incredibly unlikable parents, and a vet who thinks that no, there's no reason to even check if this lost and bleeding dog has a microchip, because obviously his former owners were abusive and neglectful! There's no WAY he might look like this because he's been lost for a very long time... /sarcasm.
Also, Tam gets mistaken for a fox about eight times, and I'm sorry but "red" coat or not, there is no way that a stocky, shaggy-coated Sheltie gets mistaken for a long, sleek fox unless you're drunk or half blind.
But all things considered, Tam's half of the story was a 5-star read, Abby was less insufferable as she started to make a friend in her new town, and I would recommend this as quality literature for young readers.
Unfortunately, the other half was populated with stupid people: a girl with such atrocious grammar she should be embarrassed to talk, incredibly unlikable parents, and a vet who thinks that no, there's no reason to even check if this lost and bleeding dog has a microchip, because obviously his former owners were abusive and neglectful! There's no WAY he might look like this because he's been lost for a very long time... /sarcasm.
Also, Tam gets mistaken for a fox about eight times, and I'm sorry but "red" coat or not, there is no way that a stocky, shaggy-coated Sheltie gets mistaken for a long, sleek fox unless you're drunk or half blind.
But all things considered, Tam's half of the story was a 5-star read, Abby was less insufferable as she started to make a friend in her new town, and I would recommend this as quality literature for young readers.
August 31, 2012
This book was the most traumatic, devastating book I have ever read! Now, just to put this in perspective, I am the owner of a wonderful Shetland Sheepdog and a total sap when it comes to dogs, but this was worse than any sad dog movie or book I have ever experienced. Author Bobbie Pyron cruelly plunges you right into the tragedy by page 8 and continues to break your heart piece by piece for FIFTY CHAPTERS! By the end of the book, when you think you have no tears left to cry, Pyron cruelly leaves you with an ending that you think is happy but aren't quite sure about. There's no satisfying conclusion to show how the characters end up. In other words, the problem is resolved in a few sentences, and then you realize the book is over. I would have loved the ending to be a little more drawn out to make up for all the unhappy tears I shed over the course of 320 pages.
March 28, 2022
3.5 stars. A sweet story. The first half was a bit slow, but both Abby and Tam’s stories picked up at about the same time. The ending was abrupt. I would have loved an epilogue. Overall, this was the palate cleanse and reset that I needed after a really dark and uninspired sci fi book that left me reluctant to read. Edit to add: a week later and it’s still bothering me that the initial vet who saw Tam after he was lost didn’t bother to check to see if he was microchipped.
The vet felt that whoever had Tam before “didn’t deserve him” based on how bad of shape he was in. Would any vet really make such an irresponsible and negligent decision? It bothered me when I read it, and it’s still bothering me now.
The vet felt that whoever had Tam before “didn’t deserve him” based on how bad of shape he was in. Would any vet really make such an irresponsible and negligent decision? It bothered me when I read it, and it’s still bothering me now.
January 23, 2011
You may have to be a dog lover to appreciate this one. When Abby finds herself separated from her beloved Shetland sheepdog Tam, both girl and dog are determined to get back to one another. For Tam that means traveling an unheard of 400 miles back down south to his home. For Abby it means never giving up, even when it looks like the odds are dearly against Tam's favor. The writing is perfectly nice, if not particularly extraordinary. Abby's a hard character to like at the start, and Tam is put through so much terrible agony that it's almost too painful to read at times. Not for me, but others might like it. - B
July 27, 2012
Don’t you just love the cover on this book? The adorable Shetland sheepdog ‘fetches’ the reader and takes you on a wild adventure. On their way home from a dog agility show, Abby and her mother are in an accident. Tam and his crate are thrown from the bed of the pickup. As Abby recovers, she is determined to find Tam, even though the odds are not good. Told in alternating voices of the girl and the dog (it really works!) the reader is taken on an incredible journey of survival and adventure. Keep a hanky on hand at the end!
December 13, 2016
I really had a rough time continuing to read this at the beginning. It was going just as I predicted, the girl gets in an accident, the dog gets lost and can't find the way home, but for some reason he has a certain reason he needs to get home. As the story goes on I had to set it down because it was boring but then it hit a good spot. All the sudden the book was really good and it got a lot better. This book showed the bond between human and dog, but also showing many important concepts on friendship and of course the "don't judge a book by the cover" for the moral lesson.
October 15, 2016
A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron is a book about a girl named Abby who has a dog named Tam who got lost in a car accident. I really like this book because it switches perspectives from the dog Tam to Abby each chapter although Tam doesn't talk. It is also amazing how close they were to each other all the time. I really recommend this book to anyone who would like a book that wants to make you keep reading.
Want to read
October 3, 2021Haven't read it yet. I'm torn between wanting to read this, and being terrified to.
About eight months ago, my family brought a male Shetland Sheepdog puppy into our lives-Oscar. Oscar is everything to me. He is my baby boy and I love and would do anything for him. I feel like if I read this story it would absolutely destroy me, because the thought of being separated from him is terrifying.
Maybe I'll read this book eventually.
Not any time soon, though.
About eight months ago, my family brought a male Shetland Sheepdog puppy into our lives-Oscar. Oscar is everything to me. He is my baby boy and I love and would do anything for him. I feel like if I read this story it would absolutely destroy me, because the thought of being separated from him is terrifying.
Maybe I'll read this book eventually.
Not any time soon, though.
November 24, 2013
It was an amazing book about a girl and her best friend and companion, her dog, get seperated during a terrible accident, and that they both have such a strong bond, that nothing, not even when they are 10,000 miles away from each other, can break it. It shows the loyalty of friends, and that friendship and love always wins.
April 12, 2016
A wonderfully written, dramatic and moving story about the unshakable bond between a dog and her girl. Tam will go down in history as a "top dog" among literary canines.
October 22, 2011
This was a good story, thought it could be used for Rappin' Readers, but they don't like sad stories, so will just recommend it to the few who like to read about dogs.....
January 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this book because of how this dog does everything to find his owners after the crash he was hidden when knocked out and this story broke my heart. How he finally found his family.
June 13, 2018
this book moved me into a reading slump because i cant leave behind Abby and Tam right away to read a diffrent book! this book has touched me and i dont think I'll find a book to top it just yet
March 23, 2021
Najwierniejszy przyjaciel
Abby i Tam to zgrany duet, są dla siebie najlepszymi przyjaciółmi, razem spędzają czas, wspólnie biorą udział w zawodach agility. Dla jedenastoletniej Abby Tam to najwierniejszy druh, a dla Tama jego dziewczynka jest całym światem.
Wszystko zmienia jedno dramtyczne wydarzenie. Po wygranych zawodach agility w drodze powrotnej do domu, do Harmony Gap, Abby wraz z mamą ulegają wypadkowi samochodowemu, klatka z Tamem wypada z samochodu, a nieprzytomna dziewczynka zostaje przewieziona do szpitala.
To jedno zdarzenie rozdzieli dwójkę przyjaciół. Jak poradzi sobie Tam pośród dzikiej i nieprzyjaznej górskiej przyrody? Czy znajdzie drogę do domu, do ukochanej dziewczynki? Abby mimo upływających dni, tygodni i miesięcy nadal wierzy w to, że jej wierny druh przeżył i że zmierza do domu. Nie ustaje w poszukiwaniach przyjaciela. I choć rodzice nie chcą robić jej płonnych nadziei, trudno jest im zabronić córce tęsknić i mieć nadzieję w szczęśliwe odnalezienie psa.
Abby mimo braku wiadomości o Tamie, ciągle czeka, poprzez szczególną więź jaka łączy dziewczynkę z czworonożnym przyjacielem, w snach widzi, że Tam żyje i że uparcie prze naprzód, na południe, do Abby. Ten szczególny dar odziedziczyła po swojej babci, która także posiada pewne wyjątkowe zdolności, które dają dziewczynce potwierdzenie jej przeczuć i nadzieję, której tak bardzo potrzebuje.
Tam, owczarek szetlandzki, podczas wyczerpującej i pełnej różnych przygód, tych wspaniałych, jak i tych niebezpiecznych, drogi do domu, odkryje swoje zdolności, o których nie miał pojęcia. Nauczy się kierować instynktem, jak posługiwać się węchem, który stanie się jego głównym drogowskazem, polować, by przetrwać i zaspokoić głód, przyjdzie mu nieraz stanąć do walki z większym i niebezpiecznym leśnym stworzeniem, zaprzyjaźni się, spotka też na swej drodze różnych ludzi, tych miłych, gotowych nieść pomoc i tych, od których każde zwierzę powinno trzymać się jak najdalej.
Tam nauczy się polegać na sobie, nauczy się jak przetrwać w dzikim ostępie, i choć ta długa podróż przyniesie mu wiele bólu i cierpienia, sprawi, że stanie się prawie dziki, to ta jedna myśl, ten wewnętrzny przymus, pragnienie powrotu do domu, do Abby, tęsknota przepełniająca wierne psie serce, sprawi, że cokolwiek by się działo, Tam zawsze będzie kierował swoje małe łapki na południe i przemierzy wiele, wiele kilometrów by odszukać tę, za którą tak tęskni.
Ta więź łącząca dziewczynkę i psa gra w tej powieści główne skrzypce. I choć mamy tu wiele wątków pobocznych(przeprowadzka do miasta, odnalezienie się w nowej szkole, nawiązywanie przyjaźni z rówieśnikami, tęsknota za ojcem i mężem, który pracuje jako muzyk, ciągle w rozjazdach) to ona jest klamrą spinającą całą fabułę. Tęsknota, chęć powrotu do domu, a także pragnienie odzyskania przyjaciela, miłość, przyjaźń, oddanie wypływają strumieniami z kart tej powieści.
"Droga do domu" to łamacz serc i wyciskacz łez. Nie ma opcji by nie wzruszyć się podczas lektury tej książki. Przygody psa, który uparcie dąży do celu, na przekór odległości, srogiej zimie, niebezpieczeństwom czyhającym w lesie, w górach, by powrócić do swojej dziewczynki, chwytają za serce, a w niektórych momentach nawet je łamią. A zakończenie rozsypuje czytelnika emocjonalnie ostatecznie.
Historie związane z kudłatymi, czworonożnymi przyjacielami człowieka zawsze mnie poruszają. Na każdym filmie czy książce w których pojawia się wątek przyjaźni psa z człowiekiem, gdzie przyjaciół rozdziela kapryśny los, wzruszam się bardzo. Nie inaczej było przy lekturze "Droga do domu". Pokochałam całym sercem zarówno Tama, dzielnego psiaka, jak i jego przeuroczą, sympatyczną i odważną właścicielkę. I jednego zazdrościłam im przez całą powieść najbardziej. Zaciekawieni spytacie czego? Przyjaźni, takiej prawdziwej, niezniszczalnej przyjaźni. Tej więzi, która łączy na zawsze i dla której jest się gotowym na wszystko. Taka przyjaźń to największy skarb.
"Droga do domu" to przeurocza, przesympatyczna, chwytająca za serce, wzruszająca, pełna emocji, zaskakujących przygód historia, która wzruszy każdego, historia przyjaźni psa z człowiekiem, siły przyjaźni i tęsknoty, historia powrotu do domu, do tych, których kochamy. Polecam z całego poruszonego serducha !
Ze egzemplarz do recenzji dziękuję wydawnictwu BIS.
Abby i Tam to zgrany duet, są dla siebie najlepszymi przyjaciółmi, razem spędzają czas, wspólnie biorą udział w zawodach agility. Dla jedenastoletniej Abby Tam to najwierniejszy druh, a dla Tama jego dziewczynka jest całym światem.
Wszystko zmienia jedno dramtyczne wydarzenie. Po wygranych zawodach agility w drodze powrotnej do domu, do Harmony Gap, Abby wraz z mamą ulegają wypadkowi samochodowemu, klatka z Tamem wypada z samochodu, a nieprzytomna dziewczynka zostaje przewieziona do szpitala.
To jedno zdarzenie rozdzieli dwójkę przyjaciół. Jak poradzi sobie Tam pośród dzikiej i nieprzyjaznej górskiej przyrody? Czy znajdzie drogę do domu, do ukochanej dziewczynki? Abby mimo upływających dni, tygodni i miesięcy nadal wierzy w to, że jej wierny druh przeżył i że zmierza do domu. Nie ustaje w poszukiwaniach przyjaciela. I choć rodzice nie chcą robić jej płonnych nadziei, trudno jest im zabronić córce tęsknić i mieć nadzieję w szczęśliwe odnalezienie psa.
Abby mimo braku wiadomości o Tamie, ciągle czeka, poprzez szczególną więź jaka łączy dziewczynkę z czworonożnym przyjacielem, w snach widzi, że Tam żyje i że uparcie prze naprzód, na południe, do Abby. Ten szczególny dar odziedziczyła po swojej babci, która także posiada pewne wyjątkowe zdolności, które dają dziewczynce potwierdzenie jej przeczuć i nadzieję, której tak bardzo potrzebuje.
Tam, owczarek szetlandzki, podczas wyczerpującej i pełnej różnych przygód, tych wspaniałych, jak i tych niebezpiecznych, drogi do domu, odkryje swoje zdolności, o których nie miał pojęcia. Nauczy się kierować instynktem, jak posługiwać się węchem, który stanie się jego głównym drogowskazem, polować, by przetrwać i zaspokoić głód, przyjdzie mu nieraz stanąć do walki z większym i niebezpiecznym leśnym stworzeniem, zaprzyjaźni się, spotka też na swej drodze różnych ludzi, tych miłych, gotowych nieść pomoc i tych, od których każde zwierzę powinno trzymać się jak najdalej.
Tam nauczy się polegać na sobie, nauczy się jak przetrwać w dzikim ostępie, i choć ta długa podróż przyniesie mu wiele bólu i cierpienia, sprawi, że stanie się prawie dziki, to ta jedna myśl, ten wewnętrzny przymus, pragnienie powrotu do domu, do Abby, tęsknota przepełniająca wierne psie serce, sprawi, że cokolwiek by się działo, Tam zawsze będzie kierował swoje małe łapki na południe i przemierzy wiele, wiele kilometrów by odszukać tę, za którą tak tęskni.
Ta więź łącząca dziewczynkę i psa gra w tej powieści główne skrzypce. I choć mamy tu wiele wątków pobocznych(przeprowadzka do miasta, odnalezienie się w nowej szkole, nawiązywanie przyjaźni z rówieśnikami, tęsknota za ojcem i mężem, który pracuje jako muzyk, ciągle w rozjazdach) to ona jest klamrą spinającą całą fabułę. Tęsknota, chęć powrotu do domu, a także pragnienie odzyskania przyjaciela, miłość, przyjaźń, oddanie wypływają strumieniami z kart tej powieści.
"Droga do domu" to łamacz serc i wyciskacz łez. Nie ma opcji by nie wzruszyć się podczas lektury tej książki. Przygody psa, który uparcie dąży do celu, na przekór odległości, srogiej zimie, niebezpieczeństwom czyhającym w lesie, w górach, by powrócić do swojej dziewczynki, chwytają za serce, a w niektórych momentach nawet je łamią. A zakończenie rozsypuje czytelnika emocjonalnie ostatecznie.
Historie związane z kudłatymi, czworonożnymi przyjacielami człowieka zawsze mnie poruszają. Na każdym filmie czy książce w których pojawia się wątek przyjaźni psa z człowiekiem, gdzie przyjaciół rozdziela kapryśny los, wzruszam się bardzo. Nie inaczej było przy lekturze "Droga do domu". Pokochałam całym sercem zarówno Tama, dzielnego psiaka, jak i jego przeuroczą, sympatyczną i odważną właścicielkę. I jednego zazdrościłam im przez całą powieść najbardziej. Zaciekawieni spytacie czego? Przyjaźni, takiej prawdziwej, niezniszczalnej przyjaźni. Tej więzi, która łączy na zawsze i dla której jest się gotowym na wszystko. Taka przyjaźń to największy skarb.
"Droga do domu" to przeurocza, przesympatyczna, chwytająca za serce, wzruszająca, pełna emocji, zaskakujących przygód historia, która wzruszy każdego, historia przyjaźni psa z człowiekiem, siły przyjaźni i tęsknoty, historia powrotu do domu, do tych, których kochamy. Polecam z całego poruszonego serducha !
Ze egzemplarz do recenzji dziękuję wydawnictwu BIS.
September 18, 2017
“All he knew was that she was calling. For all the years he could remember, this voice was his world, his compass. And when the person he loves most in the world calls, a dog can do nothing but go.”
Abby often describes her dog, Tam, as her North Star. From eating dinner, sleeping, and winning first place on the agility course, they do everything together, and the only one who truly understands her is Tam. Coming home from an agility championship, Abby and Tam are thrown into a car accident, and Tam is hurled from the back of the truck. Abby and her mother wake up the next day in a hospital, and her little sheepdog is nowhere to be found. On their separate journeys back home to each other, both Tam and Abby will make and lose many friends and endure hardships neither would hope to imagine. Can the pair make their way back to one another? Or will the constant troubles and misses separate them forever?
Before you read this, take your heart out, find a mason jar, and seal the lid as tightly as you can. An incredible realistic fiction story of devotion, loyalty, friendship, and love beyond compare, A Dog’s Way Home, by Bobbie Pyron, will leave you clinging to your seat. Filled with suspension and fateful encounters, this book will fill you with tears and put a grin on your face at the same time. The characters are all admirable and developed, and you may find yourself welling up as the story unfolds. I've never felt such hope, grief, and faith in a book, and certainly never felt all three simultaneously. The courage, horror, and mirage of emotions will keep you company for days, possibly weeks to come, and you may find the book drifting back into your thoughts several times per hour.
The setting travels everywhere, from hilly country lands in a town called Harmony Gap, to Nashville, Tennessee, to the mountains and the homes within them. Characters are introduced throughout the book, and many times, wrenched away from you just as your heart begins to swell with love for them. Going into the book, I wish I'd known the amount of sorrow I'd have to endure. Of course, I didn't, making the book about ten times harder for me to read. The theme, stated on every page in bright and bold letters, is that true friendship never dies. You see this everywhere, especially between the two main characters, Tam and Abby. You will also notice this with the supporting characters such as Olivia, Meemaw, and Cheyenne. Nothing can separate Tam and Abby. Not the mountains, miles, or minutes between them, nor the pain, suffering, and hurt that comes in both of their directions. Neither looses faith that the other will find them, and the devotion dedicated to each other is beyond the boundaries of our world. The book also sends messages such as friends are found in unlikely places and you should always chase after your dreams. The book is a good read for anyone, and anyone and anyone should read it. I highly recommend it.
Normally, I find at least three criticisms per book. To have only two things I didn't like about the book makes it fantastic, to have only one thing wrong with it makes it a rare delicacy, and to find nothing wrong at all… it speaks for itself. This book was phenomenal, and nothing but it. It tells its tale in the most perfect of ways, while touching on tricky subjects such as loss, adjusting to a new situation, and new things in life. I felt like I could have a conversation with every major character, and even some of the subtle supporting characters found throughout the story. They felt real and true, and became dear to me. By the end of the book, I'd ripped half a page because I was turning pages so fast. The book also talks about how companionship makes life easier and life is better when you have someone to guide you through it. I thought the book did everything just right, and I probably couldn't find a thing wrong with it if I searched.
Abby often describes her dog, Tam, as her North Star. From eating dinner, sleeping, and winning first place on the agility course, they do everything together, and the only one who truly understands her is Tam. Coming home from an agility championship, Abby and Tam are thrown into a car accident, and Tam is hurled from the back of the truck. Abby and her mother wake up the next day in a hospital, and her little sheepdog is nowhere to be found. On their separate journeys back home to each other, both Tam and Abby will make and lose many friends and endure hardships neither would hope to imagine. Can the pair make their way back to one another? Or will the constant troubles and misses separate them forever?
Before you read this, take your heart out, find a mason jar, and seal the lid as tightly as you can. An incredible realistic fiction story of devotion, loyalty, friendship, and love beyond compare, A Dog’s Way Home, by Bobbie Pyron, will leave you clinging to your seat. Filled with suspension and fateful encounters, this book will fill you with tears and put a grin on your face at the same time. The characters are all admirable and developed, and you may find yourself welling up as the story unfolds. I've never felt such hope, grief, and faith in a book, and certainly never felt all three simultaneously. The courage, horror, and mirage of emotions will keep you company for days, possibly weeks to come, and you may find the book drifting back into your thoughts several times per hour.
The setting travels everywhere, from hilly country lands in a town called Harmony Gap, to Nashville, Tennessee, to the mountains and the homes within them. Characters are introduced throughout the book, and many times, wrenched away from you just as your heart begins to swell with love for them. Going into the book, I wish I'd known the amount of sorrow I'd have to endure. Of course, I didn't, making the book about ten times harder for me to read. The theme, stated on every page in bright and bold letters, is that true friendship never dies. You see this everywhere, especially between the two main characters, Tam and Abby. You will also notice this with the supporting characters such as Olivia, Meemaw, and Cheyenne. Nothing can separate Tam and Abby. Not the mountains, miles, or minutes between them, nor the pain, suffering, and hurt that comes in both of their directions. Neither looses faith that the other will find them, and the devotion dedicated to each other is beyond the boundaries of our world. The book also sends messages such as friends are found in unlikely places and you should always chase after your dreams. The book is a good read for anyone, and anyone and anyone should read it. I highly recommend it.
Normally, I find at least three criticisms per book. To have only two things I didn't like about the book makes it fantastic, to have only one thing wrong with it makes it a rare delicacy, and to find nothing wrong at all… it speaks for itself. This book was phenomenal, and nothing but it. It tells its tale in the most perfect of ways, while touching on tricky subjects such as loss, adjusting to a new situation, and new things in life. I felt like I could have a conversation with every major character, and even some of the subtle supporting characters found throughout the story. They felt real and true, and became dear to me. By the end of the book, I'd ripped half a page because I was turning pages so fast. The book also talks about how companionship makes life easier and life is better when you have someone to guide you through it. I thought the book did everything just right, and I probably couldn't find a thing wrong with it if I searched.
March 6, 2020
A Dog's Way Home is about a dog named Tam and a girl named Abby. After a tragic accident Tam and Abby get separated for many months. Tam goes on this amazing journey to find his way home while Abby starts to figure out who she is when she comes to accept the fact that she probably won't ever see Tam again. I love this story because it doesn't just tell a story, it takes you on a journey. The chapters switch off between it being the perspective of Tam and the perspective of Abby. I feel like this enhances the story because instead of just following one character once they get separated it's following the story of both of them. It's telling of the struggles that they're both going through and you can see how much they grow as characters from the beginning of book to the end of the book. Tam becomes a stronger willed and more loving dog once he gets back to Abby and Abby becomes a more loving and caring person. She grew from being a child to acting more grown up. I feel like this can connect to the outside world because everyone loses something or someone they love at some point but even though that thing or person has been lost that doesn't mean that it won't come back or that you won't ever be whole again. We can always find something or someone to love again.
I would recommend this book to anyone that's looking for a cute story that has a good story line. It takes you on an emotional roller coaster right along with the characters of the book. It's my favorite book and I could read it over and over again without it getting old or boring.
I would recommend this book to anyone that's looking for a cute story that has a good story line. It takes you on an emotional roller coaster right along with the characters of the book. It's my favorite book and I could read it over and over again without it getting old or boring.
November 12, 2018
Abby and Tam are a team - winning agility contests with their special connection. But during the drive home from the last contest, Mama was driving and had an accident which threw Tam's travel crate into a stream, nearly drowning the Shetland Sheepdog. And by the time Abby and her Mama can leave the hospital to go find him, he's too hurt to come back to Abby.
And then there's Daddy, who wants to be a big-name country musician. When his band, the Clear Creek Boys, gets a chance to record in Nashville, he moves Mama and Abby there rather than staying in Harmony Gap. It's a place full of city and no real home, not for Abby nor her Mama, who misses her llamas back home.
Tam, meanwhile, is trying to find his way back to Harmony Gap, making friends with a young female coyote who teaches him how to hunt and survive, getting found by an elderly woman, Ivy, who takes care of him when he's very sick. But home still is with Abby and Tam eventually tries to find his way back to her.
A lovely book for preteens who love dogs or the outdoors. Abby is a very likable and relatable, and her adventures without Tam show how she grows. Tam's own story, shown in alternating chapters, is full of action and adventure and also some sorrow.
There are some realistic scenes involving humans and their treatment of animals (wild and otherwise) which could distress younger or sensitive readers.
And then there's Daddy, who wants to be a big-name country musician. When his band, the Clear Creek Boys, gets a chance to record in Nashville, he moves Mama and Abby there rather than staying in Harmony Gap. It's a place full of city and no real home, not for Abby nor her Mama, who misses her llamas back home.
Tam, meanwhile, is trying to find his way back to Harmony Gap, making friends with a young female coyote who teaches him how to hunt and survive, getting found by an elderly woman, Ivy, who takes care of him when he's very sick. But home still is with Abby and Tam eventually tries to find his way back to her.
A lovely book for preteens who love dogs or the outdoors. Abby is a very likable and relatable, and her adventures without Tam show how she grows. Tam's own story, shown in alternating chapters, is full of action and adventure and also some sorrow.
There are some realistic scenes involving humans and their treatment of animals (wild and otherwise) which could distress younger or sensitive readers.
February 18, 2019
A sweet middle-grade book about a young girl's love for her dog and faith that the feeling is mutual. After a car accident leaves 11 year-old Abby injured on the way home from an agility dog competition in Virginia, the physical pain doesn't compare to the heartache when her parents break the news to her that her Sheltie, Tam, was thrown from the back of their truck and hasn't been seen since the crash. Abby's dad is a struggling bluegrass musician and money is tight, so they have to return home to North Carolina without Tam.
Meanwhile, the story shifts to Tam, who has lived the pampered life of a pet but is now forced to rely on instincts to survive as late summer shifts into fall and eventually winter. Tam's journey seems a bit idealistic, as he somehow knows to follow the Blue Ridge Parkway south towards Abby, and remains on or near the road throughout the book, even when he is either dodging dangerous obstacles or finding shelter with well-meaning humans.
Reminds me of 'A Dog's Life', which I read last year and is geared towards the same age demographic. As a middle-schooler, I would have loved to find these books in the library, and even as an adult, I enjoy a quick read like 'A Dog's Way Home' to remind me of the innocence and naivety of childhood.
Meanwhile, the story shifts to Tam, who has lived the pampered life of a pet but is now forced to rely on instincts to survive as late summer shifts into fall and eventually winter. Tam's journey seems a bit idealistic, as he somehow knows to follow the Blue Ridge Parkway south towards Abby, and remains on or near the road throughout the book, even when he is either dodging dangerous obstacles or finding shelter with well-meaning humans.
Reminds me of 'A Dog's Life', which I read last year and is geared towards the same age demographic. As a middle-schooler, I would have loved to find these books in the library, and even as an adult, I enjoy a quick read like 'A Dog's Way Home' to remind me of the innocence and naivety of childhood.
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