Book Review of A Dog’s Courage by W. Bruce Cameron 5/5

Love dogs? Adventure? Suspense? Family? This book has it all.. and more.

How many of you grew up watching(and loving) ‘Homeward Bound‘, ‘Balto‘, or ‘Beethoven‘(and so many others)? Are you still captivated, and swept away, by the vast array of lovable literary animals?

Bella’s back and braver than ever.
Return to the adventures of one very good dog as she overcomes impossible odds to be reunited with her human.

A Dog’s Courage by W. Bruce Cameron

Publication date: May 2021
Pages: 286
Genre: Domestic fiction, Animal fiction, Family life fiction
Series: Book 2 of 2: Dog’s Way Home Tale

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Lucas and Olivia came to the mountains with Bella to get away from it all.
No one could have imagined that one of the greatest fires in history would so quickly take on a life of it’s own.. and that it was about to sweep across the couple’s campsite with an unimaginable fury.
Only Lucas’ quick thinking(excellent driving) and God’s grace allows them to escape(virtually) unscathed. But the fire is quickly spreading, and when relief efforts are unable to gain any ground pushing it back, it isn’t long before they’ve lost all control.

This was a day of many events that a dog could only observe without understanding.

Bella’s a good dog, she loves her boy ‘Lucas’ and, even though she doesn’t understand what’s going on, she trusts him to keep them safe.

Making it to the nearest town by the skin of their teeth, shaken and exhausted, unknowingly puts them back within the fire’s deadly reach. A happy encounter with an old friend ‘Mack’ becomes bittersweet as news of the fire’s swift approach gives those who have chosen to remain behind little time to prepare.

I wagged at my boy, seeking reassurance that this was all intentional.

Bella loves Mack, and car rides, and a tiny piece of cheese but.. strange things are happening. She can’t fathom why she feels such stress and fear coming off the townspeople around her but, she’s a good dog, and there’s nothing that can’t be made better by the love of a very good dog.

Too many were caught off guard or evacuated with the orders to leave behind their pets. So when Lucas and Olivia come across a dog left behind, they take it to the nearest shelter, and are bluntly informed that the animals will not be evacuated.. Everyone is undermanned and overwhelmed. Tensions rise between the young couple as Olivia’s determination to stay and protect the animals wars with Lucas’ need to get his family to safety.

It was this place, I knew, with the smoke and the wind, that was causing them such anguish.

You can feel Lucas battle with wanting to help and the desperate desire to get Olivia and Bella as far away from danger as possible.

Lucas, Olivia, Mack, and a small group from town work diligently outside to prepare the building as best they can.. while the resident vet, Diana, does what she can for the the animals inside. And, even with Mack’s insistence that the fire will envelope the entire town, that the shelter will burn, and that anything remaining will perish.. They have to try.

I pressed up against my boy, trusting that as long as I was with Lucas, nothing bad would happen.

Instinctively, Bella and the other animals know that danger approaches, and grow increasingly more anxious.

The fire has arrived, a cruel beast of destruction cutting a swath across the mountain. A force of superheated air and fatal temperatures bares down on the shelter like a demon, feeding on whatever it touches, the inferno traps our group of heroes and the animals in a deathly storm of fire and smoke.

I felt like a bad dog because I wanted to run, to put this awful place behind me. But I would never leave Lucas.

Bella’s worried. The air, usually a pleasant bouquet of interesting smells for a dog to enjoy, is heavy with smoke and ash. It’s hot, too hot, and she would really like to just do Go Home now.

Against all odds, the group prevails, fighting back the fire with a resolve born of terror and the fierce desire to protect.. and survive.

I realized then that something had changed- the frantic, high-pitched barking had died down. An occasional whine or yip came from the back hallway, but the dogs had calmed.

You would think their story ends here..
They did it, after all, they withstood the greatest fire in United States history and saved the town’s more furry friends.. But this isn’t Lucas or Olivia’s story, this is the journey of one very good dog, and Bella’s adventure has only just begun.

I had not been told to stay by either Olivia or Lucas. With a guilty glance behind me, I trotted down the street in the direction of my long-lost friend.

Separated from Lucas and the others, Bella will have to make some very hard decisions for a dog to make.

Stalked by the still ever present fire.. Bella travels far through this dangerous and ravaged terrain, meeting old friends and new, as she does her very best to reunite with her boy.

When dogs live with humans who love them it makes for a bond never broken.

Five Stars!

When I say Five Stars? What I really mean is..
Holy crap! I loved this book so much! Can I give it ten?

About the book:

You wouldn’t think so initially, but this book is incredibly intense.. just experiencing everything from Bella’s perspective is an eye-opener. The horror, the confusion, the wonderful and amazing heart of a dog.

Bella is an absolutely lovable character, her personality and way of thinking is believable and heartwarming. A touching reminder of the open and trusting natures our beloved animals offer so freely.

Lucas and Olivia are kind and generous characters, it was beautiful to see the relationship between these two, and the love of they share for Bella shines through every page. But it’s Bella and her harrowing journey that have thoroughly stolen my heart.

Overall:

This is hands down my favorite book of the year!

I was taken completely off guard with how quickly I became emotionally invested in the characters and their stories, and really, I had no idea what I was getting in to.

There is so much to love about this book that any complaints I might have had were easily overlooked or dismissed outright. The writing is flawless, the characters endearing, and the storyline is engaging and(dare I say?) addictive.

I highly recommend checking out the first book in this series, the one that inspired feature film ‘A Dog’s Way Home‘, starring Ashley Judd and Bryce Dallas Howard, and claiming the hearts of readers and non-readers alike.. these books are something special.

Are you an animal person?
If so.. do you have a favorite?

Some additional quotes I found adorable:

“I was enjoying the sort of nap that, as a dog, I had long ago mastered.“

“I trotted pointedly next to my boy, displaying better, more treat-worthy behavior.“

“I thought Lucas would approve of my actions- I was protecting a cat, which was something my boy did as well”.

“If a person knows a dog’s name it means they have a right to use it.“

“I knew then that, even while I was doing Go Home to Lucas, he had been doing his own version of the same thing: searching for me. My boy loved me, and he was trying to find me, guided by the opposite end of the invisible leash.“