The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski: A Book Review of Oprah's 62nd Book Club Selection

Just as Gar's father had, Gar and Trudy Sawtelle live to breed and raise pups. When they finally have a baby of their own, loving and tending to their little Edgar comes naturally and easily even though he is born with special needs. Edgar Sawtelle is born mute and this book is his story. Like all the famously bred-and-trained Sawtelle dogs Edgar is special, eventually becoming an excellent dog trainer in his own right. With the help of hand signals, telepathy and love, he forges unique and intense relationships with his dogs, a fortune that will hold him together throughout his life.

Gar and Trudy build a comfortable life for themselves, their new baby and each of the specially bred and meticulously trained Sawtelle dogs. When it comes to raising the pups and documenting their histories Gar is a serious researcher with a penchant for detailed perfectionism, but there is something inherently proficient about his ability to breed and train his uniquely sought-after dogs.

"How do you suppose our dogs got to be our dogs in the first place, Edward?" his father said, grinning wickedly. "Your grandfather didn't care about breeds. He always thought there was a better dog out there somewhere. The only place he was sure he wasn't going to find it was in the show ring, so he spent most of his life talking with people about their dogs. Whenever he found one he liked-and it didn't matter whether it was a dog he saw every day or one he heard about halfway across the state-he'd cut a deal to cross it into the line in exchange for one of the litter. He wasn't above cheating now and then a little, either..."

Gar's brother Claude, however, does not have the gift for choosing dogs to cut into the breed. Nor does he have any of the natural talent it takes to raise Sawtelle dogs or maintain the business and the beautiful family farm. Instead, Claude - helps. He comes by the farm when it suits him or when Gar is especially in need of assistance. And he is there to pick up the pieces as things fell apart when Gar dies and Edgar leaves.

Suspected of involvement in his father's death, Edgar takes to the woods where he tries to hide from his Uncle Claude who believes he can take the place of Edgar's father in more ways than one, and whose secrets the boy cannot escape. For months Edgar fights the wilderness with three of his dogs in tow, searching for truths about the day his father died.

But the woods are a lonely place to come of age and Edgar's peregrination is a difficult journey that lands him right back at the family farm, afraid but desperate for the comforts of home. Not only has he missed his mother, but he needs to be back with the dogs. He needs to set things right. He knows that justice must be served.

More than reading to find out if and how Edgar works through his grief, just following him through the woods and on his quest for closure is a deeply satisfying experience. David Wroblewski is a gifted writer with a lyrical command of the English language. In his skilled hands, a mute boy and his dogs are able to speak, revealing great depths of love and grief, ultimately demanding peace. A story that deserves to be read and re-read, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle will stand the test of time.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, 562 pp
Published by ecco, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, June 2008
ISBN13: 9780061374227