cover image The Dog That Whispered

The Dog That Whispered

Jim Kraus. FaithWords, $14.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-1-4555-6256-5

Kraus, well known for his animal stories (The Dog That Saved Stewart Coolidge), charms fans again with his latest canine tale. In present-day Pittsburgh, Penn., 85-year-old Gretna Steele adopts black Lab mix Thurman on a whim. When she learns of her retirement community’s “no pets” rule, she must hand him off to her reclusive son, Wilson. It seems Thurman was meant to be with Wilson all along, as the dog begins to pull the isolated professor and Vietnam vet out of his self-induced “sweet invisibility.” Wilson keeps his past deeply buried, but Thurman draws him out with growls and yips that seem to be actual words—at least to Wilson. Across the continent in Portland, Ore., Hazel Jamison discovers a mysterious photograph and key when she clears out her mother’s home. The key changes Hazel’s life and the photo sets her on a journey of discovery that intersects with Wilson and Thurman in unexpected ways. This sweet novel is for readers who love tales of sentient pets, or just well-told, simple stories of redemption and forgiveness. Agent: Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary. (June)