THE GREYHOUND

by Helen Griffiths ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 6, 1966

Long before he became man's best friend, there was a dog for just about every boy and there's no discounting the sentimental appeal of this book-- it's been written with its heart on its sleeve. And there are damp eyes to go with damp muzzles. Still you won't mind since Mrs. Griffiths writes very well (The Wild Heart 1964) and manages to put a good deal of feeling into it while defining the need in this particular relationship between Jamie, a bedraggled eleven year old, and Silver, the greyhound who attracts his attention first, affection later. They become mutually interdependent. Silver had belonged to an old man who lets Jamie have him for the four pounds ten he needs to pay his back rent. Jamie borrows the money, and when his mother refuses to give the dog houseroom, keeps him in a nearby cellar. Later in order to feed him, Jamie is forced into a career of petty crime and the boy is not only tormented by his confederates, but Silver is later savaged by them.... Present day London, a submerged slum section, poverty and its side-effect, delinquency, all provide a very believable backdrop for an intelligently emotional story.

Pub Date: May 6, 1966

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1966

Categories: FICTION