The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

By David Wroblewski,

Book cover of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Book description

A literary debut of stark and striking brilliance - a coming-of-age story, set in the remote wilderness of northern Wisconsin.

Born mute and able to communicate only by sign, the brilliant Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents Gar and Trudy. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised andā€¦

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Story of Edgar Sawtelle as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is my favorite dog novel that Iā€™ve ever read. I keep buying new copies and lending them to friends who apparently enjoy the book as well, since the books continue to circulate around. The story is a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking tale about a family who breeds their own unique mĆ©lange of dogs and strives to keep them alive through a son who is mute but has a special method of communicating with dogs. 

From Rick's list on our deep bond with dogs.

This is one of those books that grabs you by the teeth immediately. Itā€™s worth previewing a few pages. If you donā€™t love the story and the setting, which is a gorgeously described farm with a large role in the story, itā€™s not your thing. The book is a coming-of-age retelling of Hamlet and considered to be a fine example of The Great American Novel and was a book club pick by Oprah. Honestly, these are the least important things about this book. What I still clearly remember is the raw emotions, the tender portrayal of the mute boy forcedā€¦

From Ellyn's list on barking books with animals.

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