"Rose in a Storm" by Jon Katz.
I visit the Bedlam farm blog almost every day. So when I saw the newest book by Jon was a novel, I was thrilled to join this book club with my choice at the ready! I have adored Boarder Collies dogs ever since the 1995 unique movie, "Babe". I think Boarder Collies are fascinating and I love all of the other books by Jon Katz with his stories of his own dogs. Rose is a real farm dog that he wrote this novel about. I am enjoying the idea of a novel for the simple fact that YOU the writer can change the story to be what you want it. This snowy cold story makes reading it in December just Perfect! I was really hoping for a happy ending before I even began to read it. When I read about Rose, I see her beautiful face so alive with that little white heart shape patch of fur on her forehead. I feel that I can relate to her need to look out after everyone on the farm, of giving it her all to save a life. I kept having flash back memories of the scary cries of coyotes, how they circled the farm taunting my big farm dogs. Those crazy coyotes would steal the gofers from our traps so we wouldn't get paid.And how my cats would disappear if they were not inside safe at night, My Savannah was a great farm dog but when coyotes came around she went crazy in barking and chasing them. One evening my Dad called her back to the farm then told me "It's a trap, they want her to chase them, they will surround her and attack. DO NOT LET HER GO. Keep her safely back and tell her to stay here." I was surprised by this information from my father on that scary screeching night. And I worried every time after that when I heard the cried of the coyotes, my dog wasn't going to be taken from me! So when Jon writes about coyotes I nod thinking about how many cats they took from me and often my dog thought it was her job to chase them down. This book captured my heart when Rose faced with the coyotes showed true bravery. The storm is so strong, cold and scary, the farm animals are struggling and needing help to survive. I am reading along thinking as human beings we are called to a higher standard with our lives. We should be seeking out protection for all living creatures, in many ways I feel we have lost that connection of responsibility. Some farms still run along perfectly, but just the care of birds in the park or the deer in the trees, do we live in our homes thinking of how we can help nature? How we can rescue abandon animals? Do we live giving back to the world our very best? One of my favorite moments while reading this book was about the wild old dog, who would not leave his farm after his owners never returned. How passionate and loyal was this dog? It made me wonder why humans have a hard time following through with such loyalty? I believe we could learn so much from the behavior of dogs. I would recommend this book over and over again! You laugh, you cry and you learn about the connection, the circle of life.That incredible promise we have in the partnership, in the friendship of our dogs!
This book has a Happy ending with inspiration to care more for the world then ever before!
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