Red and Me
Set during the Great Depression, Terry Lee Caruthers’s historical novel Red and Me is a bittersweet story about a spunky girl and her bighearted hound.
From the moment ten-year-old Marlene sees a skittish abandoned stray whose red fur matches her own hair, she knows he is meant to be her dog. Convincing her father takes time, but he at last agrees: Tame Red, and she can bring him home. With help from sweet townsfolk, Marlene and Red learn to trust one another. Together, they persevere through tragedy.
Feisty Marlene narrates with less-than-perfect grammar and manners. She has a penchant for the dramatic—one villainous man earns the epithet “Evil Old Mr. Arthur.” Her voice embodies preadolescent hopes, curiosity, and confusion. Marlene feels big feelings, worrying herself sick when she thinks she cannot help Red and struggling to comprehend the abhorrent racism and ensuing fallout she witnesses in her small town.
Kind adults serve as anchors amid Marlene’s emotional tempest. Best friends Mr. Sam and Mr. Jake impart life lessons in the form of fables. Marlene’s parents provide patient guidance, explaining in simple terms that people like Mr. Arthur sometimes do terrible things for terrible reasons, like racism. With Red by her side, Marlene finds the courage to testify in court against one such injustice.
The story’s ending is not rose-colored, nor could it be. Bullying, danger, and murder shake the lives of Turtle Dove Junction’s residents, but Red is a faithful companion through it all. In the story’s dramatic climax, he takes heroic action to save Marlene’s family. The final pages are tinged by heartbreak but not lost in it; Marlene’s unconditional love for Red grounds the book.
A compassionate girl rescues a scared dog who soon returns the favor in the historical novel Red and Me.
Reviewed by
Vivian Turnbull
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
