Church of the Dog

by Kaya McLaren

Book Overview

An unforgettable debut novel about finding a home, a safe haven, and family Deep in Oregon farm country, Edith and Earl McRae are looking down the barrel of their fiftieth anniversary with none of the joy such a milestone should hold. Instead, they are stuck in a past that holds them to heartbreak and tragedy. Enter the mysterious and ever-so-slightly magical Mara O'Shaunessey who appears on their ranch with the power to mend long broken fences and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143113429
• ISBN13: 9780143113423
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Living and Dying, Grief and Joy

This is a very character-driven tale, with a hint of the supernatural. It focuses on four main characters: Earl, Edith, Daniel, and Mara. Earl and Edith are an older couple, living on their cattle ranch in Oregon, and Daniel is their grandson. Earl and Edith were going to have two children, but Edith had a miscarriage, following an accident, and their son, Sam, died in a tragic accident, with his wife, as a young adult, when their son, Daniel, was eight. Earl and Edith raised Daniel. Mara is a free-spirited art teacher, who is a bit adrift in life, but lands a job in the small town near Earl and Edith's homestead. Daniel, at the beginning of the book, has semi-disappeared, working as a fisherman in Alaska, for reasons that come out later in the story. By the end of the book, almost everything, and everyone, has changed. Events occur in the story, but action is a minor aspect of this book. What is dominant is the relationships, the interactions, and the emotions of the characters. Not all four of those main characters will still be alive by the end of the tale, and the focus of the book is handling the changes that occur, and how crises can encourage people to grow, in maturity and perspective. In what is actually a small story, told in but 221 pages, is almost every aspect of the human condition. It is resplendent with the joy of living fully, with the premise that the richness of life is to be experienced fully in its every form, even when that includes tragedy. The level of development of the characters is a big part of what makes this book as moving and powerful as it is. I know these people! That is how realistic they are, even with Mara's quirks. Oh, I did not mention her quirks, did I? Mara sees auras around people, travels in her lucid dreams, and has some very unconventional beliefs about the nature of life, healing, death, and the hereafter. At times, it was a bit more New Age than I am used to, and I was initially concerned that Mara's aura-seeing and ideas about healing might be dominant enough in the story to cost it its credibility, but that apprehension was quickly dispelled. While Mara's unorthodox beliefs and unusual abilities, or beliefs about her abilities, do continue throughout the story, they are actually not a major factor, but do come off as just an unusual aspect of an otherwise still very credible and likeable character. The end result of the convergence of these rich, credible characters, is a story that might be the most emotionally powerful tale I have ever read. It covers the entire spectrum of human emotion, and in a manner that simultaneously pulls no punches yet never comes off as melodramatic or meant to push your buttons just for the sake of doing so. Several strong opinions are voiced in this book. A strong argument for vegetarianism is made, but not in a way that offended this definitely omnivorous reader-reviewer. Organized religion also takes a pretty big hit, here, but not in a condemnatory or sancti

Angels ARE among us!

This gem of a book will be a favorite library edition and you will read it over and over again (5 times already!). In this day and age that an Author of Kaya's intuitiveness and spirituality is uplifting and such a positive affirmation of our life. Kaya's characters come to life with a belief and caring for each one. As I am of the older generation, I particularly loved Edith and Earl and their love story. Keep on writing, Kaya and thank you for this Angelic gift!!!

Smile

Being a 2yr Highschool Student of Kaya's, I may be a little biased. If asked to describe Church Of The Dog I would use the analagy of Being a fly on the wall while, Sitting Bull, Quintin Terrantino, Bob Dylan, And Henry Rollins shared a morning cup of coffee. Her writing style is very unique as is she. And her phillosophies on life and its anonimities Never ceases to shine a new light on a subject. No matter How many times I've thought about the same thing. Great Job Kaya, I'll be looking forward to reading some more books in the near future.

Witty, Fun and Inspirational

How often can you pick up a book and think right from the very beginning, "As soon as I finish reading this book, I am going to write my own."? That is what Kaya McLaren's words did for me. They were an absolute inspiration. Her style is crisp and refreshing - not intimidating. She tells a wonderful story in a narrative that lopes. (It doesn't gallop like Frank McCourt's did in "Angela's Ashes" - a book you can't put down but one that leaves you exhausted.)"Church of the Dog" is a work of fiction, but it is about people who are real. People you have met if you have ever lived in the rural west. Mara is the extremely creative and energetic single woman any single woman would like to emulate. She has dreams that help her and her friends navigate through life. Edith is the exuberant grandmother who has not let life's tragedies embitter her. In her advancing years, she is still singing the song, "It Is New Every Morning." Her practical, taciturn rancher-husband has not cramped her style one bit, but it is too bad her love of life did not rub off on Earl a little bit more. He might have wanted to stick around a little longer. The somewhat-troubled grandson evades true involvement in life by hiding behind his camera lens. The pictures he takes capture events and scenes - recording them more clearly than memory.In the end of the book, love and family and hope prevail. I cannot think of three better reasons to read a book.P.S. Don't be discouraged from reading the book if you saw it at a bookstore and were turned off by the poorly-written blurb on the back of the book. I am certain Kaya McLaren did not write those words. She knows how to construct a sentence with matching subjects and verbs. She knows the English language very well indeed. And she knows the human heart.

Compelling read!

I regretted the need for sleep and the commitment to work and school once I began reading this book. The characters and their stories are infectiously warm and bright. Their richness of depth brings the reader through a spectrum of emotions, from poignancy and despair to joyful, warm delight. Short of having these characters live in my neighborhood where I can indulge often in their wealth, I'll settle for another book by this spirited author. Let's hope it comes soon!