Title: The Faithful Dog: A Civil War Story
Author: Terry Lee Caruthers
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN: 978-1-68433-978-5
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 216
Reviewed by: Arthur Thares
Hollywood Book Reviews
There is just something about a story about a dog which immediately attaches itself to your heart. Even though this book is a work of fiction, it is based on actual events patchworked together by author Terry Lee Caruthers’s dedicated researched and filled in with some imaginative interpretation. After reading this novel, you will have a new appreciation for the loyalty of a dog and how different things were in the civil war era.
The story begins with the tale of how one family’s faithful canine, Barchen, came to be part of the family, but the quick introduction is soon shadowed by the patriarch’s call to join the civil war. As he sets off to the front lines, the dog follows him, and the family decides Barchen’s company would serve him. During his time in the service, Barchen goes on many adventures, serves as a faithful guard dog, and protects his master from many dangers. The dog protects his master in every way, even serving him after his master’s untimely death.
Terry Lee Caruthers has done a fantastic job writing a book that is interesting, heartfelt, and readable at any level. It is refreshing to read a story that doesn’t rely on tropes like love stories but still tells a magnetic story that you feel good reading. This story reminded me of some other famous dog stories like Balto and Hachi in many ways. Though the stories themselves are very different, they all showcase the loyalty of a dog and how far they will go to protect their people.
What is almost as entertaining as the story itself is Caruthers’s notes at the end of the book explaining the work that went into this story and her method for filling in the parts that history books didn’t cover. It showed a dedication to her craft and reminds readers that writing a novel is a process, and the final product is rarely how the idea originated.
If you think you are not a dog person, it will be difficult not to be after reading the story of Barchen. Terry Lee Caruthers shows that history does not have to be boring; it can be exciting and even relatable even when covering events from over 150 years ago. I think anyone who reads this book will end with a place in their heart for a dog they never met and a renewed sense of gratitude for our canine friends.