Sirius

August 15, 2016
Sirius, a fox terrier owned by a Jewish family living in 1930s Berlin, is no ordinary pooch. In Crown’s heartwarming debut novel, this little dog escapes Nazi Germany, becomes a golden age Hollywood star, a circus performer, and an informant spying on the führer himself. The result of a zoologist breeding program to make a hyperintelligent dog, Sirius is born in a Germany in upheaval. He’s adopted by the Liliencron family and shares in their trials as they escape persecution in the quickly radicalizing Nazi state. Luckily, Mrs. Liliencron just happens to know famous Hollywood heartthrob Peter Lorre, and the Liliencrons escape with their children to California. There, Mr. Liliencron takes up a job as chauffeur for a Hollywood big shot. Little Sirius, ever the curious pup, wanders onto a film set and finds himself with an acting career as the majestic dog actor Hercules. From there, he becomes the headliner for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, but through a mix-up and ever more unbelievable circumstances, he is sent back to Berlin. There, Sirius finds himself with a high-ranking Nazi owner, rising through the ranks until he’s right next to the head of the Third Reich. Crown’s novel is a fluffy alternate history tale filled to the brim with historical figures and unbelievable coincidences. Simply written and charming, this is a light read for history buffs and dog lovers alike.

A whimsical debut novel set during one of history's ugliest periods.It's 1938. Levi, a smart fox terrier, lives in Berlin with professor Carl Liliencron, his wife, Rahel, and their children, Georg and Else. Carl is a renowned expert on plankton, and the Liliencrons occupy a luxurious town house provided by the German National Academy of Sciences. However, the Liliencrons are Jewish, and Hitler's fanatics are increasingly violent. Carl reacts by lightheartedly changing Levi's name to Sirius, but then Kristallnacht occurs and the Liliencrons face transport to concentration camps. Rahel has a childhood friend in Hollywood, the actor Peter Lorre, who helps with papers and money to escape. In the U.S.A., the Liliencrons explore Tinseltown, meeting and interacting with movie stars of fame and fortune--Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, etc. As professor Liliencron becomes Crown, the chauffeur, the charismatic Levi/Sirius earns a film contract from Jack Warner, who dubs him Hercules. Anthropomorphism be damned, author Crown succeeds in employing the wiry little canine's point of view for a good portion of the story. A pop star of the first magnitude, Levi/Sirius/Hercules becomes a Chaplinesque character, but then he loses Warner's confidence and is banished to the circus. Crown then ramps up the fantasy, with the pup being shanghaied to Germany, where this supposedly devious "Jewish pet" becomes Hansi, Hitler's favorite companion. The Liliencrons, meanwhile, wax and wane among the stars until they make the decision at war's end to return to Berlin. World War II was a grotesque human tragedy, but Crown has employed the obscenity of the Holocaust to create a fable about family, the timeless connection between human and dog, and the nature of identity.Crown offers a waggish tale in which an amiable fox terrier lives out a Forrest Gump adventure. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 15, 2016

Levi is a bright, young fox terrier who lives with the Liliencron family in 1938 Berlin. His Jewish owners change his name to Sirius in an effort to blend in, but they are eventually forced to flee the Nazis to America. The family ends up in Los Angeles where they rub shoulders with famous Hollywood names and try to build new lives for themselves. Sirius comes to the attention of studio chief Jack Warner, who casts the photogenic little dog, now renamed Hercules, in a series of films. Hercules is a hit with audiences, but fame takes a toll on him. A series of misfortunes leads the intrepid canine back to wartime Berlin, where he performs his most challenging role as a member of the Resistance with close access to the Fuhrer himself. The many various characters and settings are well limned without being loaded down with details that would slow down the narrative. Sirius maintains his aplomb and essential dogginess whether dealing with Hollywood starlets, bloodthirsty lions, or the adherents of the most evil regime of the 20th century. VERDICT This quick-paced, entertaining first novel will appeal to dog lovers and fans of light historical fiction.--Dan Forrest, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green

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