Courtright beautifully crafts a twenty-first-century, canine-human morality play for the young at heart of all ages. In the author’s story, a pedigreed black Labrador named Jake faces multiple adversities and temptations but still rejects evil in favor of love.

The son of a champion black Labrador and a pedigreed mother, Jake enters the world disadvantaged: He is the runt of his litter of six, and he is terrified of loud noises. Small wonder, this scrawny, scaredy-cat pup is the last of his siblings to find a loving home. But Jake’s happiness with the Jetson clan is short-lived. Compelled to move out of state and leave their young four-legged friend behind, the family entrusts Jake to a neighbor who crates him up in the back yard. When the sound and the fury of a thunderstorm frightens him, the skittish puppy escapes the crate and runs willy-nilly seeking safety and shelter. But that’s not what he finds. He ends up at a county dump where he is bitten and otherwise bullied by a large, angry dog. Jake goes hungry; he weakens and withers. Even so, the enfeebled pup rejects the dark side that his embittered tormentor has embraced. Finally, Jake is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Allgood, serial animal rescuers who believe that God loves beasts, and, consequently, humans should, too.

Courtright spins her involving tale while also stressing that Christian values must be applied to all living things. In doing so, she doesn’t shy away from portraying the harsh realities of the world we live in. As the author sees things, a dog’s lot should embody everything that can make human existence a wonderful life. Canny and clever, Courtright marries heartwarming entertainment with the Golden Rule.

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