Saving Zasha

November 8, 2010
In her first book for children, adult author Barrow brings readers a gentle and suspenseful story straight from the heart of a dog-lover. Just after WWII ends, 13-year-old Mikhail finds a beautiful German shepherd named Zasha and her owner, Petr, in the woods near his small Russian town. Shortly after, Petr dies and Mikhail and his family (except for his father, who has not yet returned from the war) are determined to keep the beloved dog hidden from those seeking to capture or kill the dog because of the breed's association with Germany: Katia, a nosy schoolmate and the daughter of the newspaper editor investigating Petr's death; Dimitri, a breeder who hopes to create a Russian superdog; and a pair of conniving dog thieves. Mikhail's sense of humor, concern for his family, and love of Zasha are all readily apparent in his narration, which smoothly incorporates background information for readers unfamiliar with 20th-century Russian life and history. If occasionally precious, Barrow's novel is quick reading yet weighty, and captures the prejudices and aftereffects of war. Ages 9–13.

ryanl20 - I really like this book about the animals, I'm also an animal lover, and I have pets myself. I can really connect myself to the story and the author's feelings. I love the dog Zasha in the book, she's brave, intelligent, and very friendly. I think the story is very interesting and exciting, especially the part where the men in yellow van show up, when I was reading it, I was very nervous about what will happen. I'm also surprised when Mikhail's mother found that Zasha is having babies. At the beginning, I really hate Katia since she want to find Zasha and many many times, she almost put them into dangerous and troubles. But at the end, I really like Katia since she's actually a nice kid, and she actually loves animals.