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A handicapped woman has the good fortune to adopt a big, friendly, sensitive dog—not just a pet, but more like a guardian angel. When writer Woodbury brings home a striped Boxer-mix canine from the animal shelter, she soon realizes he can “speak” in English. Relying often on Microsoft phone assistance to compose her account, Woodbury, a born-again Christian, finds that Caleb can somehow communicate with the many computer technicians she speaks to in India and the Philippines. Together the two tell others about the love of Jesus, sometimes making converts. Moreover, the remarkable animal assists the police in finding a ring of bomb makers and later in attacking and disarming a wanted armed robber. Throughout this series, Caleb provides the author with much inspiration and motivation to watch after her health and get her books completed.
In the course of this well-paced three-part collection, Woodbury explains that some of what she relates about Caleb is fiction, though some is true. She clearly feels a calling to reach out to those less fortunate than herself, especially the poor and homeless both in her Florida home and abroad, with a particular feeling of sympathy for Filipinos in poverty. The first section concentrates on Caleb’s adoption, habits, and unusual abilities, while the next two move gradually from the dog’s angelic qualities to the needs we all may have for a more dedicated spiritual life. Caleb, whose color photos often appear in poses from humorous to devotional, assists in her outreach, his story providing a focus that she hopes will appeal to young people as well as older readers. She has also included numerous poems, mostly of a religious nature. Her readers will appreciate that with Caleb by her side, Woodbury projects an engaging combination of story maker and storyteller.