Book Review: A Place to Call Home: Toby's Tale

A Place to Call Home: Toby’s Tale By G. A. Whitmore

Every rescue dog has a tale to tell, a story uniquely their own. A Place to Call Home is Toby’s tale. His story takes you on a journey across the country from California to Connecticut and across the spectrum of life’s emotional and spiritual experience.

Born on a small farm in northern California, Toby narrowly escapes the death sentence imposed on him by his breeder. Through a series of events driven by good intentions, he finds himself in a Connecticut suburb where life with his new family soon collapses on him, and his new found happiness is brutally destroyed.

On his quest to find a place to call home, Toby encounters and endures the best and worst of humanity as he comes face to face with sorrow and joy, fear and courage, and ultimately, with the power of love.

Based on a true story, A Place to Call Home is a middle-grade novel for dog lovers of all ages.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book is donated to an organization of the author’s choice that promotes and advocates for the protection and welfare of dogs.

About the Author

Ms. Whitmore's passion for writing and her love of dogs come together in her series The Rescue Dog Tales.

The first book in the series, A Place to Call Home, is based on the true story of Toby, an abused dog the author adopted from the Connecticut Humane Society. Written as a young adult novel, this book can be enjoyed by dog and animal lovers of all ages. The second book is due to be released in the spring of 2015.

Ms. Whitmore currently lives in Connecticut with her two rescue dogs, Kadee and Zeus.

A Place to Call Home: Toby’s Tale
By G. A. Whitmore
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Published: February 2014
ISBN: 978-1478700739
ASIN: B00IX32I2Y
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction

Purchase A Place to Call Home on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Visit G. A. Whitmore on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.


Our Thoughts
Oh. My.  Tears!!!  I cried.  I don't care that A Place to Call Home was written for "middle grade"; it is a touching book for older readers, too.

Let me start by saying I really love dogs.  I don't think I can adequately explain the love I have for dogs, except to say I love dogs more than most humans.  Every dog we've had has been special needs, whether diet, behavior, or health.  We don't really find them - they find us.  Even if we didn't technically get all of them from a rescue, some of them I do feel we did "rescue".  Each dog takes us on a special journey never to be forgotten.

A Place to Call Home is about Toby the dog and his adventures, good and bad, on his journey to find his forever family as a rescue.  Rescued dogs will always have a special place in my heart.  We had our rescue Honey for a short 5 1/2 months before she succumbed to a previously contracted illness.  But what an amazing 5 1/2 months it was!  All the fun things she got to do, with humans that finally understood her need to run, run, run!  Honey and my husband had that instant connection upon meeting for the first time; she was HIS dog, period. We don't know what her backstory was, but thankfully she did not appear to have been abused.


Honey, our rescue (RIP)

My dog, Carl, wasn't technically a rescue, but he did have a tragic beginning like Toby in A Place to Call Home - except his abuse was from other dogs, not humans.  It took a lot of love,  patience, and understanding to give him to the best life we could.  I had the same kind of connection upon meeting Carl that the character Holly did upon meeting Toby  in the book - I was haunted by his eyes and knew I had to take care of him.  Our current girl Lola, interestingly enough had an instant connection with our son upon our first meeting - I was 6 months pregnant with him at the time!

I love that A Place to Call Home is written both from the perspective of dogs and humans.  Every bit of it is touching, and if you don't cry when Tara . . . (okay, no spoilers!) . . . The perspective of the dogs is enchanting - the family dynamic, story telling, conversations between animals. 

You can read the "real" Toby's story on G. A. Whitmore's website here; the inspiration behind this book.  And when you look at the picture of Whitmore and her dog Zeus in the About the Author part above, the love between them is obvious - you know the author loves her dogs!

A Place to Call Home would make a fantastic holiday gift for both kids and adults! I'm excited that A Place to Call Home is the first book in a planned series of books - the next one is due out in the spring of 2015, so keep watch here!