The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a novel by David Wroblewski, kept me spellbound. The story takes place in rural Wisconsin in the 1970s.
Edgar Sawtelle was born mute, but hearing. The family developed a sign language, not American Sign Language, but with his mother and father they could communicate. A bright boy, he attended school, and helped the family with their business of selective breeding and training dogs. Edgar is the third generation to work with these magnificent animals. The dogs are never identified by breed, but known as Sawtelle dogs that, even in the 1970s, sell for $1,500 each. The dogs are extraordinary companions, intuitive, and meticulously trained.
One of the Sawtelle dogs that the family kept, Almondine, becomes Edgar’s loving companion and understands Edgar’s moods and ambitions. She guards and protects her boy and in return receives his love and loyalty.
A tragedy occurs when Edgar is 14 and he feels he must leave all that he loves. With three yearling dogs, but not Almondine, he flees into the Wisconsin wilderness. He soon learns he was prepared with neither food nor equipment for himself or the dogs. Surviving on his own, the going is rough but he perseveres until at last he finds a temporary home. But he soon realizes that he must return home to learn the truth behind what happened.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a huge volume—the paperback version is 608 pages. The author goes into minute detail about Edgar’s wilderness survival, how he persists in the face of hunger, hoards of mosquitoes, deer flies, and the responsibility of keeping the dogs safe. The landscapes of home and wilderness come to life under Wroblewski’s pen, as do human emotions and canine cunning. This is a magnificent book, one that will linger with me for some time.