Later, Bailey wakes again–-"a puppy who suddenly remembered being me again"-wondering why he has been reborn, this time as a female German Shepherd. Death holds no fear for him-he's been a good dog, he's fulfilled his purpose in loving Ethan and making him happy-but he feels a profound pain at causing his boy grief. He has acres to roam with the boy, and learns a new game, Rescue, pulling Ethan out of the farm pond over and over. One day, after Ethan is in college, Bailey realizes he is dying. From the second we woke up until the moment we went to sleep, we were together." And then, inevitably, life changes-something called "school." But they spend summers at the Farm, where Grandma needs Bailey to be on hand to test her cooking. But his main job is Ethan: ".living with the boy was my whole purpose in life. He learns new words and new jobs like licking the dishes when Mom isn't watching. The dog is named Bailey, introduced to his first cat (ho-hum), and is housebroken, a baffling experience as seen through a dog's eyes. "I guess I had never bothered to consider that there might be such a thing as a boy, but now that I had found one, I though it was just about the most wonderful concept in the world." He's rescued by a woman who takes him home to her young son, Ethan-instant love for dog and boy. "Why was I a puppy again? Why did I harbor a nagging feeling that as a dog there was something I was supposed to do?" One day he opens a gate with his little teeth and paws, and starts out with no hesitation. It was, I reflected, the only thing that gave my life purpose."Īfter much time passes, "the way a nap in the afternoon sun will span the day," the dog is a newborn again, in a cage with a larger and lighter-colored mother and seven siblings. Of all the things I'd ever done, making Senora laugh seemed the most important. As he sinks into slumber, "the sadness I'd felt from Senora washed through me, and I wanted to squirm up to her and lick her palms and make her happy again. But one day all the dogs are taken by the authorities to a shelter, where Toby is put to sleep. He is named Toby, and loves his new world with playmates and toys and good food. One day they are caught by men who take them to a compound, owned by Senora, filled with other dogs. The dog's first memory comes shortly after his birth, when he figures out the warm smelly things squirming around next to him are his sister and two brothers, and "the large and beautiful shape with the long wonderful tongue was my mother." They live a feral life, spending most of their time hiding and looking for food. Seen through the eyes of a dog in four incarnations-Toby, Bailey, Ellie and Buddy-Cameron takes on life's big questions: Who am I? Where am I going? Why am I here? Cameron ( 8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter) has more on his mind than cute primarily, how dogs think and what motivates them. It has received raves from such disparate fans as Rachel Ray, Alice Walker and Temple Grandin-and my favorite, from Maya, age 12: "Everyone will love A Dog's Purpose, it's a happy dead dog book!" It's sweet, it's heartbreaking, it's funny, but thankfully it's not cute.
Bruce Cameron-is now available in paperback. Bruce Cameron (Forge Books, $12.99 trade paper, 9780765330345, May 24, 2011)Īfter spending 19 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, A Dog's Purpose-the marvelous novel by W. A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans by W.
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