The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Starred review from February 18, 2008
A literary thriller with commercial legs, this stunning debut is bound to be a bestseller. In the backwoods of Wisconsin, the Sawtelle family—Gar, Trudy and their young son, Edgar—carry on the family business of breeding and training dogs. Edgar, born mute, has developed a special relationship and a unique means of communicating with Almondine, one of the Sawtelle dogs, a fictional breed distinguished by personality, temperament and the dogs' ability to intuit commands and to make decisions. Raising them is an arduous life, but a satisfying one for the family until Gar's brother, Claude, a mystifying mixture of charm and menace, arrives. When Gar unexpectedly dies, mute Edgar cannot summon help via the telephone. His guilt and grief give way to the realization that his father was murdered; here, the resemblance to Hamlet
resonates. After another gut-wrenching tragedy, Edgar goes on the run, accompanied by three loyal dogs. His quest for safety and succor provides a classic coming-of-age story with an ironic twist. Sustained by a momentum that has the crushing inevitability of fate, the propulsive narrative will have readers sucked in all the way through the breathtaking final scenes.

Starred review from September 29, 2008
This sprawling epic tale clocks in at 22 hours, but is well worth the time spent. Wroblewski captivates with a story of a young boy and his dogs cast into the wilderness after his father is murdered in rural Wisconsin. Richard Poe reads with a firm voice, both gripping and personal, fitting for this particular tale. Poe brings the story to life with such ease that listeners will forget they aren't actually reading the book. Steady pacing, realistic and imaginative characters and Poe's skilled performance make this a recording that (even at its length) listeners will want to hear again. This is an instant classic that will resonate for years to come. An Ecco hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 18).

Richard Poe's cadenced full-throated performance lets us savor the language in this exquisite first novel about the Sawtelles, a family that slaved for generations to create a breed of super dogs. The point of view jumps from man to dog to baby, and Poe alters his tone tellingly at each transition. Edgar, the desperately awaited only child, is born mute. We first spot his "delicate pink hand" through the eyes of Almondine, the dog that will be his protector and beloved sibling. Enter the dread uncle. When Edgar's father dies mysteriously, Claude seeks to replace him on the farm--and in his mother's affections. After confronting his uncle and accidentally taking a life, Edgar is forced into exile in the woods with three of the special dogs. Poe's voice swells with passion, but he never, ever overplays a line. B.H.C (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine