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    A Dog's Way Home: A Novel
    A Dog's Way Home: A Novel
    A Dog's Way Home: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    A Dog's Way Home: A Novel

    Written by W. Bruce Cameron

    Narrated by Ann Marie Lee

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Lucas Ray is shocked when an adorable puppy jumps out of an abandoned building and into his arms. Though the apartment he shares with his mother, a disabled veteran, doesn't allow dogs, Lucas can't resist taking Bella home.

    Bella is inexplicably drawn to Lucas, even if she doesn't understand the necessity of games like No Barks. As it becomes more difficult to hide her from the neighbors, Lucas begins to sneak Bella into the VA where he works. There, Bella brings joy and comfort where it is needed most.

    After Bella is picked up by Animal Control because pit bulls are banned in Denver, Lucas has no choice but to send her to a foster home until he can figure out what to do. But Bella, distraught at the separation, doesn't plan to wait. With four hundred miles of dangerous Colorado wilderness between her and her person, Bella sets off on a seemingly impossible and completely unforgettable adventure home.

    A classic story of unwavering loyalty and incredible devotion, A Dog's Way Home is a beautifully told, charming tale that explores the unbreakable bond between us and our pets.

    Editor's Note

    On the screen…

    W. Bruce Cameron (“A Dog’s Purpose”) has mastered writing from a canine’s perspective. Here, a mixed-breed dog, Bella, gets labeled a pit bull in Denver, where the breed is outlawed. Bella then goes on a touching journey to reunite with her person. Ashley Judd and Edward James Olmos star in the film adaptation.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMay 30, 2017
    ISBN9781494587697
    A Dog's Way Home: A Novel
    Author

    W. Bruce Cameron

    W. Bruce Cameron is the New York Times bestselling author of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, which has turned into the hit television series. He is the bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose (now a major motion picture), A Dog’s Journey, The Dog Master, The Dogs of Christmas, and The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man. He has twice been voted the number one best humour columnist by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and his nationally syndicated column in the US is read by more than three million readers every week. He lives in California.

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    Reviews for A Dog's Way Home

    4.5/5

    112 ratings10 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Great story! Both of my kids 10 Yrs and 8 Yrs loved it. However bad words used throughout the book my husband and I had to cringe multiple times. Such as: ass***e, God D***, Crap, Overdose from drugs…. I just didn’t think it was age appropriate and not kid friendly book.
    • 4/5
      good story, middle dragged on a bit but worth the hours listening to it all.
    • 5/5
      A great book, very touching. I especially liked the parts with big kitten.
    • 5/5
      Has much suspense and emotional appeal Excellent writing loved it
    • 3/5
      W. Bruce Cameron adds to his kennel of novels narrated by dogs in this predictable tale of a dog separated from her person, who then makes a long and perilous journey for reunification.There aren’t really any surprises here, but it’s generally well-written (except for the straw-men villains) and takes a look at a couple of contemporary issues in addition to Bella’s trip. He takes a look at the breed exclusion laws passed in many communities, targeting “pit bulls” (which are not a recognized AKC breed but rather a type) and the often capricious manner in which individual animals are identified as belonging to the target group. The other, more pervasive theme, has to do with difficulties faced by military veterans with service-related issues such as PTSD or its frequent traveling companion, substance abuse. The two issues combine to drive both Bella’s separation from her person and to help resolve the underlying problems when she finally reaches her destination.Along the way, she meets and interacts with several people and animals, some of whom help and some of whom hinder, but all of whom she must eventually leave or escape from in order to continue her trek.Cameron also has some fun with the narrative language, as Bella puts her own unique spin on the human oddities, habits, and tasks that impinge on her world. As usual with Cameron’s canine protagonists, Bella has many influences in her puppyhood and life, not the least of which is being fostered by a mother cat when she’s separated from her own mother before weaning. This leads to several later incidents involving cats which Bella happily hangs out with, even though she finds many of their habits odd.Cameron unashamedly manipulates readers’ emotions – always a balancing act between pulling them into the story and offending them through sheer condescension. Individual reactions will depend on how the reader feels about dogs in general and whether they are able to accept some of the more unlikely scenarios.
    • 2/5
      Note to self: books from a dog’s POV are not my cuppa tea. As one who seeks out cute dog (especially pitbull) videos on YouTube, I’ll still watch the coming-soon adaptation, but as a book it didn’t work for me.
    • 4/5
      I'm not a big fan of stories narrated by animals, but Michael Morpurgo and W. Bruce Cameron do it so well, that it is impossible not to become invested in the story. They can capture the essence of an animal, bringing them to life. I adored Joey in "War Horse" and loved Bella equally in this book. Her loyalty, devotion and compassion was trying moving. "A Dog's Way Home" reminded me of "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford and the reason I gave it 3.5 stars instead of 4 was because I felt that the story dragged in places and was a bit repetitious, especially over the two years when Bella was trying to find her way back to her human, Lucas. However, the beginning and end made up for the lag in the middle part of the novel and I adored Bella from start to finish.
    • 4/5
      The story is sweet and pulls at one's heartstrings . There is a bit of The Incredible Journey and a bit of A Dog's Purpose to it. I loved that both cats and dogs are highlighted even though the main character and narrator is a dog named Bella. Just like the author's other books, the story is told from a dog's perspective so the writing style is short sentences, not a huge vocabulary and a bit childlike which makes this a good book for any age and those who might have a lower reading level. That is not to say that I did not enjoy this book, because I did. It is a bit different from the others I have read because this was one dog and one life, but what a life.

      Several subjects were brought up and high current. The discrimination of Pitbull type dog breeds, the problems of feral animals, how they are treated and the fact that many animals are just abandoned as well as Service Animals for both physical and emotional support. Bella's story is wonderful. She is an abandoned dog who is taken in by her person, Ethan. It turns out that not only can she sense when a seizure is coming on, but has wonderful senses and is able to provide comfort to those in distress. The story is told from her point of view stating that she just wants to be with her person and have a purpose. Her journey when she is separated from Ethan is amazing. It has a lot of adventure, side trips, and new people along the way. There is humor in just the right places, action, mystery, some sadness but overwhelming happiness as well as hope. I did need a few tissues along the way, but it was not too bad. Being a dog lover, I loved this book. It was well plotted with characters that I both loved and disliked. For every animal lover there are those who don't like animals and some of those are in this book. If you enjoy animal stories, pick this one up. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
    • 5/5
      This is the first book I read by author W. Bruce Cameron. He has a very compelling writing style and his research about dogs is clearly evident. This book is one that will stay with me for years to come.
    • 5/5
      Bella, a mixed pup was found living under a building with her family and some stray cats by animal activists when the building was going to be destroyed. Bella escaped capture because she was off playing with the baby kittens. Big-hearted Lucas decided to keep Bella and she becomes an important member of the family as she helps Lucas' mom with her PTSD. She even helps out at the local vet's home bringing joy and comfort to all. Her undetermined background haunts her though, as an overzealous dog catcher sets her up to be branded a pitbull and exterminated. This is the story of how she finds her way home from where Lucas and his friend Olivia take her to save her life. Fans of the Incredible Journey will love this, but a step up in maturity level.