Mountain Dog

Mountain Dog

Juvenile fiction
Margarita Engle's Mountain Dog is an eloquent story told in two
voices in free verse. One voice is that of Tony, a boy struggling to
adapt to and feel secure in a new life he fears can only be
temporary. The other is that of Gabe, the dog who seeks to teach him
to come out of his shell and live life to its fullest.
Tony has been raised by a mother who used and abused him every
bit as much as she did the pit bulls she raised by illicit dog
fights. So when she gets arrested and jailed and a social worker gets
to decide his destiny he's terrified. All he's ever experienced has
been surviving cruelty and he doesn't expect his future to change for
the better.
Certainly it changes for the different when his great uncle,
Leo, a bachelor forest ranger takes him out of the inner city to his
remote mountain cabin. There's a small rural school with three grades
in one room. There's a cowboy church that welcomes dogs and horses.
There's also Gabe, a dog who has been trained to save lost hikers and
seems to understand how to rescue Tony from fears and nightmares.
It can't last though. It's only a matter of time before Leo
gives up on him or his mother gets out of prison and pulls him back
into her world.
On a personal note, I learned a lot about search and rescue dogs and
wilderness survival. I am delighted that Engle recommends insects as
some of the safest wild foods a hungry lost person can encounter since
many plants are poisonous. I know I'm none the worse for eating the
insect pests we encounter in Orono Community (organic) garden.
Morever, based on my research, when I donate blood next week I'm
expecting an awesome iron count.
A great big shout out goes out to the people and animals who heal
broken hearts.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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