A Dog’s Tale

I was very sad to see that Donald McCaig recently died, Dear Readers.

Although I never met him, he did me a great favor in 1984 by writing the beautiful book,  Nop’s Trials.

If you’ve never read it, do so immediately.

Even if you don’t like dogs.

The plot is simple.  A valuable border collie gets stolen.  He- and his master- are desperate to find each other again.

That’s it.

And yet it isn’t.  Like all great literature, it’s about so much more.

Like love and faith and perseverance and death and hope and grief and acceptance.

This book is a national treasure.  One to be read over and over again.  It’s (mostly) told from Nop’s point of view and how and what this dog thinks is a marvelous, magical combination of imagination and artistry.

It belongs right up there with the greats- Call of the Wild, Lassie Come Home, All Creatures Great and Small, Old Yeller, Sounder.

And if you- or any teenager you know- is dog-crazy, this is the best Christmas/Hanukkah gift ever.

This is going to be a short post, Dear Readers.

I’ve got some sheep-herding to do.

Here, Nop.