Owd Bob

The main conflict in the book seems to have been softened for its expected family audience. At the heart of the book is the terrible anger and devastation felt by old Adam McAdam over the death of his wife. Adam takes out his anger on his son, who seeks solace with the neighboring family, the Moores. Without Adam's bitterness, there is no story. I received this book when I was a child and much too young to understand the conflicts in it. Only when I reread it as an adult, did I get the full value of it. It's too bad that a good film, for grownups hasn't ever been made of it. Forget the details of whether or not the dogs' behavior is realistic. Give us a believable character struggling with the pain of a disappointed, cheated life.