Whippoorwill by Joseph MonningerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am a dog lover and I love to read any kind of book about dogs and as much as I loved this book, this book just really makes me sad. Clair lives next door to a very dysfunctional family (now only father and son) whom she characterizes as whippoorwills- they have lots of junk in their yard. But far more harsh is Wally, a black lab tied to a pole, left outside, and mistreated. As Clair tries to ignore his circumstances and pitiful whining, she becomes Wally's hero and with the help of Danny Stewart next door, begins to train Wally according to a book written by a dog whisperer, Father Jasper. But life gets in the way with Danny's sadistic father (who made his wife go crazy)and Clair is also confused about her feelings for Danny. I rooted for Clair, Danny and Wally. Their happy moments in training Wally were so important in defining the kind of caring pet owners they were but things will not be so easy in life for Danny and Wally. The harsh realities in this book reminded me of Gary D. Schmidt's Orbiting Jupiter - life can be so darned hard, you ache for Clair, Danny and Wally and hope against hope for a redemptive ending. Once again, I have to call this book a crossover book - all adults should read this too. Highly recommended.
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