Terry Kay (1938–2020)

Sam Peek is 80 and lives in rural Georgia. He has just lost his wife Cora after being married 57 years, and can't gather himself. Then a strikingly white dog appears near his house and befriends him, although it avoids everyone else. Many of Sam's 7 children live nearby, and they worry about him, concerned that the to-them invisible dog is a sign of some kind of dementia. Particularly when Sam starts talking about the dog putting its paws up on his walker and dancing with him. Sam's onto his show more children's concern, and enjoys putting them on about it. There's a great scene where two of his daughters sneak up to the house at night in commando gear with blackened faces, trying to either see the dog or prove its non-existence.

Others start seeing the dog, and it accompanies him on a perilous journey (Sam doesn't drive well) to a class reunion. He loses his way, but his ability to attract kindness helps to some degree. "Maybe the lesson the Lord had intended for him to learn was in the white dog.... Maybe the dog was like the whale in the Jonah story, or like the lions with Daniel, or the doves of Noah's ark. Maybe the dog was the message and Sam Peek only the messenger." The book celebrates our being alive. It's funny and sad, and authentic about family relationships, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Four stars. show less

To Dance With the White Dog - Terry Kay
4 stars

This was an impulsive Kindle bargain buy. I remembered the Hallmark movie and the bittersweet performances of Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. Or maybe, I just remembered that it was the last time the two of them worked together before Tandy passed away. I was prepared to keep my box of tissues handy. The story begins as the elderly Sam Peek is grieving the death of his wife.

I was actually surprised that the story didn’t drip with sentiment show more although it was heartfelt. I loved the old man’s relationship with his mysterious white dog. There’s that touch of magical realism hovering around the fortuitous appearance (and disappearance) of the white dog. I enjoyed the way Sam Peak used the unusual dog to tease his daughters and mess with their overly solicitous caretaking. I liked the way this old man coped with his limitations, accepting that the end of life was near, but refusing to stop living.

I appreciated this book’s portrayal of profound grief. It’s a short book and the character’s grief is there in every sentence. But, he isn’t only grieving. He makes plans and sets goals for himself. He takes an interest in current events and reflects on his life. He visits old friends and enjoys his extended family. He takes comfort in that white dog. This book checked all my warm fuzzy boxes. show less

What a delightful book. Sam Peek suddenly lost his wife of 57 years, leaving him with fretful, worrisome children who mean the best, but at times get in the way of how Sam wants to live his remaining years.

While driving his rickety, dilapidated truck down the country roads near his house, he notices a bright white dog frolicking in the field. Slowly, he gains the trust of the older dog and the two become soul mates.

Sam's children believe he is getting daffy because while he talks of the show more marvel of the white dog, only Sam can see him. Gradually they can notice the dog, but not with the wonderment of Sam.

This is a lovely tale of loss and of gain, of sorrow and joy, of adjusting to becoming older and of the time spent reminiscing wonderful memories.

Found on the library book sale table for .25, this is the best buy of the year.

Five Stars! show less

I will admit it, I am new to the works of Terry Kay. His latest novel, The King Who Made Paper Flowers, is an interesting read. It is set in a lightly fictionalized Savannah, by which the author means certain government figures are definitely fictional. This Savannah lives, breathes, and features a variety of colorful characters that form the main attraction for the book. The main driver of the plot is Arthur Benjamin, who arrives in town only to be first pickpocketed and then befriended by show more the narrator, Hamby Cahill. Hamby is a street magician and a bit of a shady character, although clearly not all bad. Feeling sorry for him, Hamby takes Arthur to an abandoned warehouse called The Castle, where an eccentric woman called Lady lives with an assortment of other characters, each quirky in their own way, walking the streets and making things lively.

The book is beautifully written, and Kay's skillful choices with language bring it all to life. From an early point in the story, Hamby describes why he met Arthur in the first place:

Maybe I am called to bus stations like a recovering alcoholic is called to a tavern door because of my father's genes doing their little jitterbug dance in the thick of my blood. Maybe I have always looked for him -- thinking he would return as he left -- on a Greyhound.

Arthur is a bit of a cipher, in that much of him and his past is hidden, but interacting with him brings out the rest of the characters as they first try to figure him out, and then support him in his struggles. The plot is based around a struggle between the powerless and the powerful (those fictional government figures), reminding me in some ways of The Pushcart War. If there is any complaint to the book, it is that Arthur's choices seem to most often drive the story, while the rest of the characters react to their outcome. This makes them slightly less compelling, but it does raise the question of who is truly powerful in a situation. The story feels like a fairy tale or an Arthurian Legend, which ties in nicely to many of the references in the book. Overall, it's an enjoyable read. show less