Barley lived with a
woodcarver and his wife. He dearly loved the old couple who had
rescued him as a pup, but he could also remember a young boy who
played with him before he was rescued. When Duv and Adah, his owners,
are murdered, Barley finds himself on the streets again. Ultimately
he arrives in Jerusalem during the last days of Jesus.
The story is told
through Barley’s eyes. He’s a wonderful character, loving,
wanting to have a family and help his people. The first chapters are
slow. We meet Adah and Duv. Barley dreams of his young boy and the
tenor of the book is comfortable. However, when Barley gets to
Jerusalem, the tenor changes. Some of the scenes he witnesses are
quite violent.
The setting is well
done and believable as are the characters Barley interacts with.
Although the pace is slow in the first half of the book, it picks up
at the end as Barley witnesses the violent end of the Messiah.
I enjoyed the book
and recommend it. Although it’s an adult book, the writing is clear
and simple as befits the story told by the dog. Unless there is an
objection to the violent scenes, this book could also be enjoyed by
young adult readers.
I received this book
from the Lifuse Publicity Group for this review.
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