Ron Marasco

I'll admit that while I have a certain fondness for animals in real life, I don't really do animal tales. The thought of reading a novel about a horse or watching a movie about a whale just doesn't appeal to me.

But perhaps what intrigued me about this particular novel was the idea of viewing some of "the greatest story ever told" from a new-to-me type of angle. So I did indeed pick up The Dog Who Was There by author Ron Marasco. And I wasn't disappointed.

No, this isn't a story about a dog show more who follows Jesus around everywhere. In fact, for a while, I found the parts where Jesus showed up to be the least compelling of the novel. Much like an extra guy who didn't quite fit in the story, in person. And I thought that perhaps His presentation here leaned too much toward the kind of soft and radiant Christ Who appears in Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur, not enough like a man Who used to work with His hands and would've spent a lot of His time in the sun and dirt.

But, once it's all weaved together, He ultimately does fit in this account that centers on a lovable and courageous dog, Barley. Seriously, Barley's engaging and poignant story put tears in my eyes at least three different times. And while there's a simple, storybook feel to the characters and maybe some head-hopping (like hops from Barley's head into human ones), there's genius in the novel's layering and delivery.

It's the kind of book that makes you want to be a better person, and that says a lot. I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys Christian and Biblical Fiction or inspirational stories, whether you're usually a fan of animal tales or not.
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BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. show less

I loved this portrayal of the final days of Jesus, and we are there with Barley, the dog we get to meet eight years before.
We really are absorbed in the culture at the time, and I read the whole book with my heart in my throat, on the verge of tears. Guess I’m a dog lover, as if I didn’t know.
I found myself quickly absorbed in this story, even though I knew part of the ending, but all along rooting for the dog. The author did a great job of keeping my attention and page turning, and felt show more that this was a book that I could share with my older grandchildren, they are tender hearted too, with Easter coming I fell that this might be a good reminder of their faith.
I loved how the author incorporated one of the thieves that had become Barley’s master in the final parts of the book, and the death of our Lord. You don’t want to miss this one, but have the tissues handy.
I received this book through Lit Fuse Publicity Book Tour and was not required to give a positive review. show less

This is the second book I requested at the same time I got "The Truth About Grief" by Ruth Davis Konigsberg. We've been dealing with grief on a very personal level this year. Our oldest son was killed in a traffic accident in December, followed by my Mother-in-law in January of general old age and declining health. Her death was not unexpected and in many ways was something of a relief. We miss Maxine very much, but do not mourn her passing in the same way as we do for Bill. Our son, Bill, show more was only 24 when an out-of-control car came over the curb and hit him as he was walking on the sidewalk. He was killed instantly. We felt the loss of our son to our very core - and still occasionally experience sudden waves of emotion and tears. That is what was happening last week. And it was from that anguish that I sought some kind of reassurance which led me to these books.

I'm glad I read them in this order. While The Truth About Grief talks about grief and grieving in general terms, this book is focused on the individual. It consists of more than 2 dozen short essays which look at grief as experienced by individuals over time and in different situations. This is very good stuff. Not everyone's experience is the same, and not all the essays "spoke" to me personally. But many did, and they were absolutely accurate.

Beginning in the book's introduction, where the authors were explaining what their objectives were in writing the book, and how they'd gone about it, right on page 6 there is a short poem by poet Donald Hall who lost his wife, Jane Kenyon (to cancer, maybe? I think it says later in the book), when she was 46 years old:

"Distressed Haiku"

You think that their
dying is the worst
thing that could happen.

Then they stay dead.

This so perfectly captures the very worst moment we experienced when Bill died. We got the news late in the afternoon, and that evening was a flurry of terrible activity and worry. Lots of calls to make, sitting on pins and needles waiting for the kids to arrive safely home from their college towns, people coming to the house bringing food and condolences and hugs. Many sleepless hours in the dark. But the worst was the next morning when we woke up to a bright sunny day and a quiet house. And realized that we were still here. And Bill was still gone.

The main body of the book is divided into 4 sections which addresses first the immediate grief - during the first few days and weeks; then the period of facing the truth about what happened and the person it happened to; ways of consoling yourself and getting your mind off your loss even if only for a few moments; and the different ways people have of expressing their grief depending on cultural, religious, even gender- based differences.

Some parts were laugh-out-loud funny. At least I thought so. When they hit so close to the truth of such a painful subject, you either have to laugh or cry. In fact, they devote an entire essay to the subject of humor. Heh. Funeral humor! But, I remember that we laughed quite a bit and made jokes through our tears. One of the stories that will be repeated at my Dad's funeral will be about Bill's funeral. We had Bill cremated, and his urn was delivered by the funeral home to the church for the visitation. Then we had 2 memorial services - one the next day here, and another the day after that, followed by a burial, in our hometown. So, we were back and forth quite a bit and the family just naturally took turns being in charge of the urn. After the first memorial service, when we were getting ready to head out of town to go "back home", we were scurrying around getting bags packed and the cars loaded, hotel reservations made, and the house closed up. A sort of orderly chaos going on, when my Dad's voice chimed out above it all, "Don't forget Bill!", referring to the urn. We all stopped what we were doing and laughed and laughed. As if we COULD forget Bill, who was the cause of everything we were going through!

That is the kind of authentic details that are in this book - the part about laughing, the part about the family dynamics when relatives get together who haven't seen each other, the part about going back to work, the part about knowing who to trust even when it's not the person you love best, the part about feeling guilty for trying to escape the pain. Even more than the other book, this one brought me the comfort of knowing that my feelings and experiences are really no different from anyone else's who has been in the same situation. This is a book I would wholeheartedly recommend. show less

I was drawn to this book because I found it fascinating to read about Jesus through the eyes of a dog. I instantly liked Barley and enjoyed his journey. The author really captured my attention from the beginning. Barley , along with his siblings and mother were having fun playing in the grass when someone decided to end their adventure. I felt myself holding my breath at the dramatic escape Barley made. The author really brings the story to realism with words that grasp your attention. show more

Barley is sweet, loveable and curious. He wanted to be accepted and loved and I thought that was a great addition to the story. We all go through life wanting to be loved and along the way we learn what unconditional love is through the teachings of Jesus. The book is well written and easy to follow. I loved the description of the time period and felt as if I were there walking along side Barley. I especially liked the many lessons Barley learned liked forgiveness, love, family and struggles throughout his journey.

Barley and people he meets along the way will encounter danger, compassion and a familiar story told in a way that leaves you weeping. I loved every moment of the story and found it hard to put down. It's a great book and relates to our own struggles with forgiveness . What would it be like to meet the Messiah? I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse Blogger Group and The Fiction Guild. . The review is my honest opinion. show less