Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language: 4 F-words, abundant profanity and swearing.

Violence: Fist fight between two grown men (brothers). Dogs are intentionally poisoned. Two characters killed by lethal injection. A deer is shot with a rifle. Character falls down the stairs and dies.

Sexual Content: An unmarried couple lives together and references are made about them sleeping together.

Adult Themes: A tense relationship between two brothers. A boy witnesses his father’s death.  He must come to terms with losing his father and with his mother’s relationship with another man. Grown men drink and smoke. Murder.

Synopsis

Edgar Sawtelle and his parents live on an idyllic farm in Wisconsin where they breed and train Sawtelle dogs, an evolving breed that is exceptionally companionable, well behaved and intuitive. Edgar was born without the ability to speak, but he learns to sign and develops his own unique language. Edgar’s dog Almondine is his constant companion and epitomizes the traits they try to perpetuate in all of the Sawtelle dogs.

When Edgar’s father dies suddenly, he and his mother are left to run the farm. The work is far too much for the two of them to handle alone, but the reappearance of Edgar’s uncle Claude is not entirely welcome.  Although he lightens the work load, what does he want exactly? Is he trying to take over the farm he grew up on? As Edgar observes Claude, he is convinced that Claude had a role in his father’s death, but he has no real evidence. When an elaborate plan to expose Claude backfires, Edgar must leave the farm. Edgar and three dogs survive in the wilderness until he is compelled to face his father’s murderer.

Although an interesting book, I did not love this first novel by Wroblewski. At the beginning of the book I felt the language was a bit contrived, like he was trying too hard to be a good writer, but as the book progressed his writing seemed to improve (or I just got used to it). His writing is very slow paced, which isn’t a bad thing, but it felt drawn out in places. Billed by some as a modern-day Hamlet, I wasn’t incredibly surprised by the ending, but, although prepared, I was disappointed. In my opinion, the author took the easy way out and escaped the difficult task of resolving all of the problems and tying up the loose ends.

©2009 The Literate Mother