“It is hard to enjoy a book when the most interesting character in it disappears from the narrative for approximately half of the story. To be fair, this isn't a badly written book, and I can certainly see why it would have appeal. However, I found it to be impossibly naive, even for the time period in which it was written, and that Estes took far too many detours in the narrative to establish that the family was quirky and therefore fun. Then again, it may also have been the idea that someone would steal a dog from a child and not be punished for it that irritated me.”
