Product Description

Sam Peek's children are worried. Since that "saddest day" when Cora, his beloved wife of fifty-seven good years, died, no one knows how he will survive. How can this elderly man live alone on his farm? How can he keep driving his dilapidated truck down to the fields to care for his few rows of pecan trees? And when Sam begins telling his children about a dog as white as the pure driven snow -- that seems invisible to everyone but him -- his children think that grief and old age have finally taken their toll.

But whether the dog is real or not, Sam Peek -- "one of the smartest men in the South when it comes to trees" -- outsmarts them all. Sam and the White Dog will dance from the pages of this bittersweet novel and into your heart, as they share the mystery of life, and begin together a warm and moving final rite of passage.

Winner of the Southeastern Library Association's Outstanding Author Award.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41182 in Books
• Published on: 1991-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780671726737
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
Los Angeles Times This short book moves like poetry....A loving eulogy to old age....A tender celebration of life, made poignant by death being so close at hand. -- Review

Review
New York Times bestselling author Pat ConroyTerry Kay is a perfect writer for those who love to read. His prose contains music and passion and fire. His work is tender and heartbreaking and memorable.

Anne Rivers SiddonsTo Dance with the White Dog is what literature is -- or should be -- all about....Kay is simply a miraculous writer....This book...burns with life.

The Most Reverend Desmond M. TutuA hauntingly beautiful story about love, family, and relationships.

Los Angeles TimesThis short book moves like poetry....A loving eulogy to old age....A tender celebration of life, made poignant by death being so close at hand.

About the Author
Terry Kay's works include the Emmy Award-winning teleplay Run Down the Rabbit and the novels The Year the Lights Came On, After Eli, Dark Thirty, and To Dance with the White Dog. His newest novel, The Valley of Light, is available in hardcover from Atria Books. Terry Kay lives in Georgia.

Customer Reviews

Doggone phenomenal story!
I recently attended a writers conference in Athens, GA where Terry Kay was one of the speakers at an all day session. I had seen the Hallmark series production of Kay's "To Dance With the White Dog" when it was on TV in the early '90s and remember being very inspired by the story; however, I never read the book. I purchased an autographed copy at the conference and dug right into it on the long ride home. I'm so happy that I had the chance to be re-introduced to this tender story. As well as being inspirational, this is one of the best character-driven novels I've ever read. Based on the author's own parents and set in the deep South, it tells of an old man who has recently lost his wife, leaving him to feel very much alone and lost. A white dog appears shortly after her death, almost as if by magic! Strangely, the dog makes its appearance only when the old man is present. Thus when he mentions it to his married daughters and sons, they can't help but think their father is starting to get senile. One day when the man has a sudden attack and collapses, one of the daughters who lives in the neighborhood sees the dog in her father's yard, almost as if to alert that there's trouble inside. Then they know--the dog is real. But just the same, they continue to fuss and dote over their father, worrying about his every move. The author paints a remarkable and realistic picture of each character in the novel, and he'll have you laughing, crying and most of all wondering--who is the "White Dog" and where did she come from? I can't say enough good things about this heartwarming and tender story. Buy the book and see for yourself!

A "must read" for those with aging fathers!
My father loaned me his copy of To Dance with the White Dog and kept bugging me until I started reading it. Of course, once I started, I couldn't put it down. After finishing the book, I understood why he was so persistent. In a few more years, the main character in the book will be my father. I bought my own copy to read again to remind me when the time comes that my father is not a child and he doesn't need me to hover over him. Anyone with aging parents will benefit greatly from this book. I highly recommend it.

THOSE WHO LOVE WILL KNOW HOW PERFECT IT IS
This is one of those rare, perfect books that will stay with you for the rest of your life. A bittersweet premise (the prospect of growing old and dying), the book is filled with hope and love and the promise of more to come. The characters (especially the main character and his wife) are unforgettably lovable and people who run the gamut of emotions. The plot never slows, and it speaks straight to the heart. This is a special book that can stand on its own with no special effects needed. Although I'd call it "quiet," it packs an emotional wallop, but one you'll love. Anyone who's really loved will both laugh and cry when reading this book, and I can guarantee one thing--no one will ever forget it. Buy it, cherish it, give it to someone you DEARLY love. This is definitely an American classic and storytelling at its best. Sheer magic!