Oprah's Favorite Holiday Gifts 2008: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

This year, Oprah's favorite holiday gifts included a book by David Wroblewski, titled The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is 576 pages, published by Ecco, and is number sixty two in Oprah's book club. David Wroblewski's novel of a mute boy from a dog training family is no surprise addition to her list of holiday gifts; a powerful Shakespearean story brought to the American plains.

The premise sounds tame: the Sawtelles have raised dogs for years, and they have a pretty happy life doing so. Then disaster strikes, and Edgar's father dies and is replaced all too soon and in too many ways by Edgar's uncle. It's Hamlet in America, even though Edgar is no prince. His struggle to survive, his devotion to his pets and the memory of his father, set against the wilderness and the American farm, makes for a beautiful, moving tale that you can only hope ends happier than the original tragedy. But The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is more than just a re-telling, it's an entire re-imagining that stands on its own. Based on the attention it's getting (Oprah doesn't pick just anyone), David Wrobleski has done a wonderful job with this book, and it deserves it's place with Oprah's other favorite holiday gifts.

You can find this book at www.amazon.com. As with the entire 'thrifty' theme of this year's favorite holiday gift list, it's a bargain price. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle will only cost you $14.27 if you pick it up online. Buying it in-store will cost a little bit more and move the price up to the list price of $25 plus dollars, but that is still a reasonable price considering the quality of the book. There is also a paperback of David Wroblewski's book that's only $11.55 on Amazon.