Short story by debut author.

There are many mature themes in this short story. The title and cover gave me the impression that this might be a story for children; it is not.

Two dogs, Big Love (Great Pyrenees) and War Horse (Doberman), play large roles in this short story.

Especially liked how the second half of this story came together. Between 4 and 5 stars, but rounding up because of the ending and debut author. (Keep writing Shallen Anne Chitwood!)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Shallen Anne Chitwood (self published!) for approving my request to read Big Love and War Horse in exchange for an honest review. Published May 2024. Approx 204 pages.

A story of tragedy and mending broken families. This novel is set in 1942 amidst the early years of WWII while families are still recovering from the Great Depression. The Deacon family is broken from the loss of their beloved mother and wife Joy. Following the story of Kay and Jonas who are pushing forward after losing their mother. Their father, Luke, is broken and drowning his sorrows with alcohol. Luke leaves his children to fend for themselves, and the only thing Kay and Jonas have are their dogs Big Love and War Horse. As the family begins to heal, secrets unfold that threaten the safety and stability of the Deacon's. This book lends to some familiarity from other novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men
There are some intense topics such as rape, murder, suicide. I promise though this book does eventually end happy! Although at points it felt like it wouldn’t!!

I want to extend my thank you to Netgalley and Shallen Anne Chitwood for a copy in exchange for this review.

A great book with a fairly unique plot, the dogs driving the POV in the Autumn of 1942 in North Carolina. The family has been beset with a recent tragedy that has threatened to tear the remaining family members apart.

Jonas at fifteen, his sister a couple years younger, lost their mother to suicide and then their father in an inability to cope finding solace only in a bottle. The two have been left almost wholly on their own.

The narrative unfolds in the eyes of Big Love, an old Great Pyrenees, and War Horse, a Doberman puppy too big to succeed as a Marine war dog.

Their aunt comes around to check on the kids and later becomes a bigger part of the family. She has secrets and struggles of her own. The father eventually comes back and tries to make up with the kids, Jonas now bitter and angry. The reconciliation is slow and deeply moving, poignant.

The novel evokes many emotions as it navigates the grief, anger and profound confusion. There is a lot going on in this novel with twists and turns and themes of love, loss, murder, suicide, and reconciliation.

I loved the interpretation of the circumstances by the dogs who do their best to take care of their humans. Gripping storyline, well developed characters. 4.5 stars

4-4.25⭐️

It looks like this is the authors debut Historical coming of age fiction set during the wake of the Great Depression and during the bombings of 1942. The content doesn’t feel like YA as there’s some very dark topics covered, but it’s never graphic.

Two siblings Jonas and Kay are left with their father who is struggling after the death of their mother, and hitting the drink. Their two dogs Big Love and War Horse are partly the PoV in the book. It was this element that attracted me. I just wasn’t sure how well she would pull it off or if it would come across like a Disney book. It certainly didn’t feel like a Disney story. But it would make a great film, and I feel that she pulled it off, the dogs weren’t anthropomorphised it fitted in well.

It’s a beautifully written heart felt story which managed to both break and warm my heart. It had me in tears more than once. Occasionally i felt that the prose was a little corny, but by far it was just a lovely read full of emotion. There’s some good twists and turns too.
The chapters have a picture heading of a wood which is a nice addition but pictures of Big Love and War Horse would have been better.

It’s a really good debut novel, and something different, I’m always craving something fresh. If you are an animal lover I urge you to give it a try.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. Oh my heart! I absolutely devoured this book! Told from the perspective of the family's fiercely loyal and loving dogs, this book follows a family in the depression era through their grief, struggles, love, friendship and trying times. If you are looking for a quick, heartfelt book, this is it!

The setting is the farmland of a shattered family during WWII - life is not as it was once.
Good storytelling, in the middle we „hear“ the two dogs, that makes the storytelling unique.
To me it was too much telling to settle down in the story and connect with it and the characters.
Maybe it wasn‘t the fitting read for a hot summer weekend,

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy!