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*POSSIBLE SPOILER* Dessa Dean grieves the loss of her mother and suffers episodes of PTSD, recalling how she tried to rouse her diabetic mother from freezing to death. It's been a month and she can't bring herself to leave the cabin. Until a stray brown dog, similarly traumatized, comes into her life and helps her overcome. As one reader pointed out, it's never clear what the setting or time period is, but I'd guess 18th century upper midwest or west. There's a folksy, aw shucks tone to Dessa's narration. Young readers who love dog stories will enjoy. ( )

Very good dog story especially for people like me who want a happy ending (for the dog). The wild dog in Stephanie Tolan's Listen was much more realistically tamed. ( )