Three Wild Dogs and the Truth

When the Zusak family decided to adopt a dog from the local pound they did not know the change this animal would make to their lives. The dog was Reuben, a mixture of many breeds though they were told his ancestry was possibly a Great Dane / Labrador cross. He was a few months old when they brought him home and what was certain was that he would be a big dog. 

As Markus and his wife had a three year old daughter it was essential that Reuben should be a family dog and fortunately he was. Reuben and Kitty became the best of friends. However there were other occupants in the house - two cats named Bijoux and Brutus. Bijoux was in charge. Eventually the animals came to accept each other but there were still challenges, especially when Markus took his dog for a walk.

Then a second dog named Archer arrived. There was a lot of love in the house between dogs and humans but there was also chaos, especially when the dogs went for a walk. There were also expensive vet bills. But the dogs became an important part of the family life which had expanded to include a son. 

When the two dogs died within a short time of each other it was decided to wait six months before considering another dog in the family until they saw a photo of Frosty, another street dog from the pound, and the challenging and chaotic life of looking after and loving a large and sometimes unruly dog began again.

In Three Wild Dogs and the Truth Markus Zusak provides an often humorous account of the highs and lows of living with strong-willed pets. There are a number of photos of the three dogs, usually looking innocent despite the disruption they may have caused. While Reuben and Archer were entertaining the family Markus was often away on publicity tours for The Book Thief and writing Bridge of Clay so we also learn a little of the life of an author.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I read in one sitting.

The Messenger

Ed Kennedy is nineteen and currently earning a living driving a taxi. His father is dead and his mother usually ignores him. Ed lives alone with his extremely smelly dog, The Doorman. Several times a week he plays cards with three friends, Ritchie, Marv and Audrey. One day the four friends are visiting the bank when it is being robbed by a nervous bank-robber. It is Ed who has the courage or foolhardiness to try and apprehend the thief. His name and photo appear in the paper. This under achiever is famous for a short time.

Then Ed's life changes. Over the next six months Ed receives four playing cards, each containing three words or phrases - cryptic clues to be solved. This leads Ed to meeting and helping a range of people facing challenges of various descriptions. As the quest continues, Ed begins to discover that as well as helping others he is learning more about himself.

The Messenger (or in the USA I am the Messenger) is written Australian author, Marcus Zusak. It has recently been made into a television series for the ABC with the eight  episodes to be screened on Sunday nights. The book, written for older teenagers and adults, encourages readers to examine their own lives and consider what might be achieved. There is much humour throughout the book, some violence and some introspection as we learn more about the four friends and their neighbourhood.

The Messenger won the Children's Book Council of Australia award for older readers in 2003.

Bridge of Clay

Markus Zusak's new novel is Bridge of Clay. His famous novel, The Book Thief, was published in 2005 so readers have long been anticipating this novel.

Bridge of Clay is set in New South Wales and is the story of a family, particularly of the five Dunbar boys, Matthew, Rory, Henry, Clay and Tommy, as they try to survive in difficult circumstances. Their mother, Penny, has died after a protracted illness and their father, Michael, has left them to fend for themselves. The boys share the family home with a mule (Archilles), a dog (Rosy), a cat (Hector), a pigeon (Telemachus) and a fish (Agamemnon).

The book is narrated by Matthew, the oldest of the Dunbar boys, as he types the family story on an old typewriter. The story fluctuates between the present and the past as the events affecting this family are gradually revealed. The physical activity and rough and tumble activity of the boys is contrasted with the presence of their mother, although she is no longer there. There are constant references throughout the novel of how stories in books and music and art can influence memories and relationships.

Much of the novel involves the boys challenging themselves to the limit. The need to run and tackle until exhaustion in order to be stronger and face future challenges. Then one day Michael returns requesting the assistance of the boys to build a bridge across a river on the property where he now lives. The boys have always stood together to face challenges and when Clay is the only one to eventually agree to help his father relationships between Clay and his brothers become strained. The bridge becomes a symbol of not just a physical crossing from A to B but a means to mend relationships between family members.

This is a family saga. It is about life and death. It is about relationships and about finding oneself after tragedy. It is definitely a book worth reading.

Bridge of Clay review - Michael McGirr - Sydney Morning Herald 12 October 2018

The Book Thief

I first read and enjoyed this book by Marcus Zusak when it was published in 2005. With the film of the book being released in January I decided it was time to read the book again. The story begins in 1939 in Germany when Liesel and her brother, Werner, are being taken to the home of their foster parents, the Hubermanns, at Molching on the outskirts of Munich. Werner dies on the train leaving Liesel to face her new existence alone.

 At her brother's funeral Liesel finds a book in the snow and, although she cannot read, the book becomes her greatest possession. Hans Hubermann helps Liesel learn to read so that she can eventually read her new possession, The Grave Diggers Handbook. Gradually she acquires additional books and books and reading become a key part of Liesel's existence. The Book Thief is a story of the devastation of war on ordinary people. It is a story about friendship, love, understanding and trust. It is the story of a young girl growing up in a very uncertain environment. It is a story where the narrator is Death and throughout the book Death provides his viewpoint on the futility of war and provides observations on the behaviour of humans.

Books also determine, to an extent, the telling of the story as the main sections of the novel involve the title of a book recently acquired by Liesel. The Book Thief is a beautifully written story that deserves the acclaim it has received in Australia and overseas and I found the second reading of the book just as moving as the first time I read it.