Starred review from September 14, 2015
Nearly 20 years after Saving Shiloh (1997), Naylor adds a fourth title to the trilogy that began with her Newbery Medal–winning Shiloh. Set a year after Marty and Shiloh were reunited in the previous book, this installment begins with a summer drought and makes its way past Halloween and Thanksgiving to conclude with a restorative Christmas meal shared by characters who don’t always see eye to eye. Along the way, Marty wrestles with the arrival of a new preacher who focuses on sin and punishment over love and forgiveness (and whose home life raises some tough moral questions for Marty’s family), as well as a damaging fire that destroys the home of a newly repentant Judd Travers. Naylor seamlessly interlaces themes of tolerance, compassion, and forgiveness in this poignant story as she explores the interconnectedness of family members, communities, and the dogs they love. Ages 8–12.