The story is told from the viewpoint of Bailey (a dog), and despite my initial cynicism towards this approach, I found that it worked quite well. Bailey tells the readers about events from a dog's perspective, and as humans, we can make inferences as to what may be happening "in real life". The story begins with Bailey and his family surviving on scraps as strays. They're soon caught and brought to live among other ex-strays at some sort of pseudo-shelter run by a loving woman until it's shut down by the state. The story then progresses through Bailey's multiple reincarnations as he realizes his ultimate purpose.
This book was well written from a unique perspective, and despite my stringent "anti-cry" attitude, I found myself tearing up regularly. Reading this book made me think differently about dogs and made me appreciate them much more. If my schedule would allow it, Rupert would already have a cousin.
Netflix rating? 5/5 stars.
