Sophie

October 3, 2011
Pearse, an Australian journalist, shares the amazing true story of Sophie, an Australian cattle dog who, on a boating trip with her human family, is swept overboard into the Great Barrier Reef. After a fruitless search, the devastated owners reluctantly conclude that their beloved pet has either drowned or been carried off by ocean predators. Unbeknownst to them, little Sophie swims—for up to 24 hours—to remote Keswick Island. When food and water prove to be scarce, the exhausted and emaciated Sophie undertakes another perilous swim, this time to nearby St. Bees island, where five months later, she is caught and finally reunited with her family. While Sophie’s story is riveting, Pearse’s telling drags in spots, especially when she describes how the family grieved for their lost dog; the writing is affecting but repetitious. The story shimmers, however, when the author focuses on recreating Sophie’s island experiences—through interviews with animal experts like Temple Grandin and with witnesses who noticed the castaway—and describing the joyous reunion. A tender, delightful story of how a cosseted pup turned into a hardy, intrepid—and very lucky—“supercanine,” this book will endear itself to dog and adventure lovers everywhere.

June 15, 2011

When her family, the Griffiths, took Sophie Tucker sailing near Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the three-year-old blue heeler was swept overboard in rough waters and lost. But Sophie proved to be one tough canine, swimming six miles through shark-thick waters to the remote St. Bees Island. There she lived off baby goats for five months until captured by rangers and returned to the mainland. (The island is uninhabited but has facilities for camping and researchers.) Learning about the castaway dog through friends, the Griffiths rushed to meet her, though they doubted it could be Sophie and were in any case warned that she might now be feral. But when Sophie saw her family, she nearly broke out of her cage with joy. Pearse is an Australian journalist living in New York; her book is a tearjerker for everyone.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.