Book Report: To Dance With the White Dog

To Dance With the White Dog by Terry Kay
This short, intense novel took me only two days to read, but I'll remember it forever.

When his beloved wife of fifty-seven years dies, no one knows what will become of elderly Sam Peek. How can he live all alone on his farm with no one to talk to, and no one to look after him? And when Sam begins talking about a pure white dog that only he can see, his children think that age and grief have finally taken their toll on their father's mind. But whether the dog is real or imagined, Sam Peek is about to show everyone how much life he still has in him....

Sprinkled with simple yet clear and artistic descriptions ("The day was bright, the sun had untangled from the trees and was in its stretch across the day, and on the highway nearby, cars rushed into town.") the scenery springs to life. Dialogue is real and imperfect, and great care is given to describe the mysterious white dog ("There was the dog, leaping gracefully in the field beside the road, a white blur, like a burning star falling and rising, falling and rising.") It is no wonder this story was brought to the big screen.

With heartfelt emotion and touching grace, Sam and White Dog will dance from the pages of this bittersweet novel and into your heart, as they share the mysteries of life in a warm and moving final rite of passage.

Very sweet and poignant, with a heartbreaking end that lingers.
Four stars out of five.