Charlie’s life transitions into Henry’s (see next paragraph), and the reader learns that Charlie is Henry’s father. The Elliots bury Sunny in the spot where RJ fell. Charlie is traumatized when a hunter accidentally shoots and kills Sunny. Hunting season begins a few days before Thanksgiving, with Sunny fearful of the booming gun noises. The one-year anniversary of RJ’s death passes, and life goes on. The time away is restorative, and she returns to the family farm in time for the start of school. With her husband’s support, she leaves her family for the summer to stay with her sister-in-law, Susan. Yet, Charlie has too much time on his hands, and his thoughts replay the circumstances surrounding RJ’s death.Ĭharlie’s mother, Doreen, seems unable to cope with her grief. Together Charlie and Sunny roam the fields surrounding the family’s farm, and Charlie helps out Mr. Sunny plays a role in helping the family through their grief. With the school year over, Charlie has the summer ahead to spend with RJ’s dog, Sunny - his new, inherited best friend. The result is that Charlie feels responsible for RJ’s death. At the time, he had been trying to rescue Charlie’s homemade kite. People recount how he fell from a tree to his death. The story of RJ’s death turns him into a heroic figure. Though RJ was only 13, the small town of Lindenfield treasured him because of his athletic ability and scholastic abilities - a boy who one day would put their town on the map. His family is grieving the recent death of his brother, RJ. The second story centers on a soon-to-be fifth-grader named Charlie Elliot. They return for Bone after he heals and take him home. The man and boy take Bone to the vet, who treats him. One day Bone gets caught in a hunter’s trap and is rescued by the boy and his father. Before long, Franklin is forced to move into assisted living where pets aren’t allowed, and the ensuing neglect prompts Bone to become a stray again.Įventually Bone encounters a boy who befriends him by leaving food out for him. When the woman finds she can’t take care of her new baby, return to her job and mind a dog, she gives Bone to her father, Franklin. One day his mother doesn’t return, and Bone and his sister wander away from the shed they lived in.Ī man finds them, but eventually he dumps them at a shopping mall where a woman rescues Bone. Bone, a dog, narrates the first story, telling of his earliest memories of being a stray along with his mother and sister, Squirrel. One of the greatest books ever written by anybody in the world.Three story lines run parallel to each other in this story of love and loss. Ackerley-by far the best "animal book" I've ever read. ![]() To dog lovers, by the way, I recommend My Dog Tulip by J. First published in 1965, it portrays in the most affectionate terms what the dogless tend to consider outrageous transgressions. This is the funniest, most poignant, and consider yourself warned preeminently disgusting of all the great dog books. I love this book because it shows respect and profound understanding of the animal on its own terms. In its own quirky fashion, Ackerley's wry valentine to his beloved pet is as much a book about the difficult art of living and loving as it is a dog story. aimed to shock, and his success was heightened by the soapbubble sparkle and lightness of his prose. Out of print for years, Tulip, is now back to amaze, amuse, and somewhat dismay those lucky enough to receive her. This is one of the greatest masterpieces of animal literature. Gail Caldwell, The New York Times Book Review It's anthropomorphism in reverse, albeit with a human (and very British) narrator. Ackerley tried to deliver the thoroughly physical world that dogs inhabit. I remain an amused admirer of My Dog Tulip, partly because J.
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