Kirkus Review
A Dog Named Christmas
By Greg Kincaid
When Todd McCray, a young man with developmental disabilities who lives on a big farm in Kansas with his mother and father, hears that a local animal shelter is looking for dog foster families for the Christmas season he immediately jumps to action and wants to help. His father, George, a Vietnam war veteran, is reluctant. Todd’s determination wins out in the end and the family takes in one of the strays. Will the new dog stay with the family and help heal George’s past traumas? Will Todd succeed in getting other people involved to clear out the shelter?
The story follows the family’s journey through fostering the dog and George’s sad reasons for why he does not want to keep the dog. While the story is heartwarming and cute the writing is stilted and the side characters feel one dimensional. The author tries to make George a salt of the earth guy, but often he comes across as old-fashioned, and not in a good way. In one paragraph George describes his son as “mildly retarded”. While this is meant to convey George’s matter-of-factness and acceptance of Todd’s condition, it could strike the reader as jarring and uncaring. George’s trauma from the Vietnam War makes communicating his feelings with his family difficult, but eventually he comes around and is able to open his heart to the dog. Readers will appreciate this warm tale of healing and the Christmas spirit. This book is the first in a series.
At times overly saccharine, this title will strike a chord with dog and Christmas lovers alike.
Pub date: Nov 4 2008 Page Count: pp 143 Review posted online: Feb 8 2019
ISBN: 978-0-385-52598-5 Publisher: Doubleday
Image is from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3076572-a-dog-named-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true
A Dog Named Christmas
By Greg Kincaid
When Todd McCray, a young man with developmental disabilities who lives on a big farm in Kansas with his mother and father, hears that a local animal shelter is looking for dog foster families for the Christmas season he immediately jumps to action and wants to help. His father, George, a Vietnam war veteran, is reluctant. Todd’s determination wins out in the end and the family takes in one of the strays. Will the new dog stay with the family and help heal George’s past traumas? Will Todd succeed in getting other people involved to clear out the shelter?
The story follows the family’s journey through fostering the dog and George’s sad reasons for why he does not want to keep the dog. While the story is heartwarming and cute the writing is stilted and the side characters feel one dimensional. The author tries to make George a salt of the earth guy, but often he comes across as old-fashioned, and not in a good way. In one paragraph George describes his son as “mildly retarded”. While this is meant to convey George’s matter-of-factness and acceptance of Todd’s condition, it could strike the reader as jarring and uncaring. George’s trauma from the Vietnam War makes communicating his feelings with his family difficult, but eventually he comes around and is able to open his heart to the dog. Readers will appreciate this warm tale of healing and the Christmas spirit. This book is the first in a series.
At times overly saccharine, this title will strike a chord with dog and Christmas lovers alike.
Pub date: Nov 4 2008 Page Count: pp 143 Review posted online: Feb 8 2019
ISBN: 978-0-385-52598-5 Publisher: Doubleday
Image is from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3076572-a-dog-named-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true
Caitlyn,
ReplyDeleteWell, you got me with the title of the book and the photo of the dog! Who would not want to read this book? We need a bit of "sugar" feel good this wintery time of the year. Dogs have a way of unconditionally loving and help healing people. So, was it worth reading and did you like it?
It honestly was not for me, however I don't normally read books like this so take my opinion with a grain of salt. If you like clean Christmas stories you'd probably like this one. It is guaranteed to have a happy ending!
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