The night before Ted Kerasote and his friends set out on a river rafting trip, a young stray dog shows up in their camp, hungry, friendly, and instantly ready to adopt Ted. The next morning, with only a moment’s hesitation, he leaps onto their raft and accompanies them downstream, making himself at home on top of the cooler. Thus begins Kerasote’s recounting of his life with Merle, the yellow dog of dubious parentage and fathomless wisdom.
This is more than an anecdotal catalog of goofy or tear-jerking dog behavior, a la Marley and Me, however.Kerasote invites the reader on his journey to understand Merle and to coexist as a companion, not as a trainer or owner. They exchange wisdom and love as they share outdoor adventures in the beautiful wilds of Wyoming. In fact, Wyoming is almost as much a character in this book as Merle.
Kerasote challenges us to rethink the human-dog relationship, and he delves deep into the history, even prehistory, of canines and homo sapiens to grasp the means of learning what Merle has to teach him: that dogs do not need to be led, and that when allowed to be a partner rather than be subservient, their intelligence increases, as does their friendship.
Recommend this book to lovers of dogs (and animals in general) and the outdoors. 416 pages
Recommended by Jane Behrens, Librarian.
