“Decrepit humans rescue desperate canines, cats and the occasional rat in this collection of shaggy but piercing short stories.” Listed by Kirkus Review as one of the best books of 2015, this collection of short stories and a novella explores the complexity of relationships between people and animals in an impoverished rural community where the connections people have with animals are sometimes … sometimes their only connection to life.
According to Kirkus Review:
“Kearney’s prose is elegant and unfussy, with threads of humor and lyricism. She has an excellent eye for settings and ear for dialogue, and she treats her characters, and their relationships with their pets, with a cleareyed, unsentimental sensitivity and psychological depth. Through their struggles, she shows readers a search for meaning through the humblest acts of caretaking and companionship.
A superb collection of stories about the most elemental of bonds.”
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An excellent book about broken people and their animal companions. The stories tell of life, and life is not always pretty, or elegant, or even worth living sometimes. You will find pathos here, but the author is well aware that there is beauty in pathos, even though it may be difficult or uncomfortable to notice. Her message is that there is primal bond between people and their pets, and sometimes an animal can give a person things that another human cannot, or will not. Some of the stories also depict the cruelty towards animals of which humans are capable, and it is hard to read these passages, but it is noteworthy that there’s never any cruelty towards the people from the animals. There’s a lesson in that.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney. I was pleasantly surprised by this collection of stories that definitely captured my heart. This collection of short stories will have great meaning to those who love animals and mane give some insight to those who may not feel a strong connection to animals. These stories really show a realistic view on both human world and animal world. If your looking for something light and fun I suggest maybe going elsewhere because this set of stories will speak to you in a completely different light. The author definitely captured me from beginning to end though and as an animal lover I truly appreciate the insight this author put into this book. Four stars and highly recommended!
The overall theme of the stories is about the animal and human relationship. Individual stories show the love, trust, and heartwarming of these relationships. The stories show the unconditional love from the pet to their human. There are life issues but it shows how the pets can heal each person differently. I was hooked from the beginning because I believe in the healing power of the love between the animal and human. If you are feeling down and out I recommend reading these stories because it will tug at your heartstrings.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
Five Stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories is the first book have read by Jill Kearney. It definitely won’t be the last. The twelve short stories are thoughtful and awe inspiring. I really enjoyed the stories about the dogs and a few cats. They got me thinking of some of my grandmas dogs. It brought back great memories of my childhood. Some of the stories brought to life hardships and different points of view. This book left me feeling good about the wa animals (pets) come and go throughout our life time. I highly recommend this book for all animal lovers.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this volume but I was charmed by the short stories I found within. Kearney does a beautiful job filling the pages with stories that will absolutely warm the heart of all dog lovers. If you have a pet you love or know someone that does, this work is one that you will thoroughly enjoy.
Who’d have thunk it, that it takes a book devoted to dogs to highlight the fragility and complexity of us humans, delving into some of deepest darkest places and shining a little light on it. Kearney does it beautifully, her characters so raw and real and full of all the hurt of life, and it is shown unflinchingly and without judgement. Each of the stories are beautiful and while not always fun to read they are enjoyable.
There is an overall bleakness to all of these stories that I have to say I wasn’t prepared for, especially considering I delved in expecting some sweet light-hearted tales about dogs on misadventures, but it by no means ruins the stories or makes them difficult to read, if anything I think I enjoyed them more for it. The reality of each of the characters struck a nerve and hit home in the way that only brutally honest things can, and while the dogs and animals did seem to take rather a back seat to this, I think Kearney did an awesome job.
So don’t expect funny doggie shenanigans with these tales; they instead highlight all the different shades of grey in a person’s world and different people across different walks of life, shovelling different piles of crap, and their pets are taken along on this merry journey for better or for worse. I also think that Kearney makes glaringly obvious how we can get so caught up in our own stuff that we forget about the wonderful beings that share our lives and our homes with us and love us unconditionally, regardless of our sometimes, terrible behaviour towards them.
I would say that you should definitely give these stories a read, but maybe take them one at a time and have a break in between as they can get a little heavy if you try and tackle them all at once. Kearney writes awesomely and has such a heart for both animals and humans. Looking forward to reading more of her work.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney. I couldn’t wait to read this book of short stories because I love all dogs and cats and I was not disappointed. Told from the view of an animal rescuer it tells the stories of people from all walks of life and the animals that come into their lives and love them unconditionally thru neglect, no food and no attention. Animals truly are the best things on Earth. These stories tell of the bonds that animals and humans have no matter how bad things are. Dogs and cats will be there when everyone else turns their backs on you. You may think no one cares at all but your animal will always be there with a wagging tail or a flick of the tail to give you unconditional love and these stories tell of those times. If you love beautifully written stories about people and their pets this is the collection for you. Do yourself a favor and read this great book!
The Dog Thief and other story’s by Jill Kearney some great stories about the reality of living with animals. These were great, real and often inspiring stories, I preferred some over others, but they all spoke to me in a different way. I loved how real this was, as it showed a dog really does change your life, they aren’t there to cuddle and look pretty all the time, they do become another person in your house, with their own personality. I also loved how it showed the compassion and empathy some people ad animals have for each other. It wasn’t always inspiring and sometimes it is sad, but overall its great.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney is a collection of stories about the relationship between humans and dogs. It is a heartwarming and beautiful book that really illustrates how strong the connection between the two is.
There was such a variety of characters in this book that it was so easy to find at least one to connect with – although if you are anything like me I saw myself reflected back in a few of them.
I really enjoyed the authors writing style. It was imaginative and detailed and really draws you into the book. This is a great collection of stories and one I enjoyed more than I expected. I would certainly recommend this book.
The animals in this book are extraordinary who beat major odds. It warms your heart to know just how much the human and animals’ souls melt into a soul connection. These stories warm you from the inside out especially if you’ve got a fur baby at home. These stories touch the human’s heart that reads them in a lot of ways. I highly recommend reading these short but beautiful stories.
5 Stars
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney
This is a wonderfully written collection of twelve short stories and a novella about the lives of humans and their animals they care about. Let me just say Wow this just blew me away honestly wasn’t what I was expecting. What an emotional rollercoaster ride some of these stories just broke my heart where others warmed it. My emotions were all over the place and I found myself shaking my head a few times. I got lost in the pages and couldn’t stop reading till the last page. Each story is about a different animal and their relationship with their owner. These pets are the stars with their love and commitment to their owners.
I highly recommend reading this whole collection. I look forward to reading more from this Author .
This is a book full of short stories and clearly shows the love of animals you can tell these are drawn from experience when reading. This is set in rural America. There is a melancholic feel to most of the stories, with recurring themes of death and long-suffering dogs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. It makes us aware that domesticated animals have a life and personality of their own and are not just there to fulfil a selfish purpose on the part of their owners. In our daily lives we tend to overlook – by preference or disinterest – a shadowy side of our own society … the abuse of animals. This can be a hard read but says alot about some animals reality.
The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney is a collection of animal stories that will warm but also break your heart. This collection of stories is inspired by Jills heart and life experiences and it is easy to see in her writing. It is a story of animals that will continue to love no matter how broken their owners are. The animals themselves are the true heroes and heroines of these stories. I must admit that I had a lot of emotions when reading this collection and they stayed with me long after I finished the book.
4 Stars
The Dog Thief and Oher Stories by Jill Kearney is a collection of 12 short stories capturing the connection between humans and our four pawed companions. These stories are drawn from the authors own experiences as a dog rescuer and carer. The stories are heartachingly poignant- with a very realistic and honest account capturing both human and animal in all too-real situations.
This is not a light and fluffy read- there are moments of true heartache and emotion, but amongst it all are also messages of compassion, hope, determination, resilience, and survival.
The stories are written to highlight the need for more focus on animal rights, welfare, and rescue. It also captures the connection between humans and animals, and how caring for one another and forming a bond with our furry companions can stabilise and really enrich lives.
The stories in the collection are:
-The Dog Thief
-Sparrows
-Beverley and Jim
-Arnie’s Last Ride
-The Christmas Rats
-The Angel
-The Collie
-Beer Money
-The Quest
-Ordinary Housework
-Driving While Remembering
The author has a wonderful way with words, easily conveying realism and emotion. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more of her work to explore.
Thank you, Jill Kearney!
The Dog Thief and Other Stories
By Jill Kearney
5 out of 5 stars
I loved reading the book The Dog Thief and Other Stories by Jill Kearney. It is a collection of stories that are both heartbreaking and also heartwarming. They intertwine the lives of human and the animals that they care about. The stories had my emotions going up and down the entire time that I was reading them. I found myself thinking about these stories well after I had read the final page of the book. There are wonderful characters to read about and also ones who seem to think of the animals in their care as property more than the treasure that they are. I found myself with misty eyes quite a few times while reading these stories. The author does a wonderful job in making both the stories and the characters come alive. Don’t miss out on this set of wonderful stories that you will not soon forget and will have you not wanting to put the book down until the final page of the book has been read. I highly recommend reading this book.
This is a collection of short stories with a novella. These are stories about animals and humans and their relationship. They are full of inspiration, hope, trust and love. Each story is unique and finds a connection to the animal in the story. The pets are the star’s of each story with their loyalty and the unconditional love they share. The companions go through life struggles, these stories show how animals can be healing and their unconditional love. These are great short stories that could be a little longer but I enjoyed them no matter. I highly recommend this book. You will find something inspiring in each story.