Jock's Island

Interesting story of a sheepdog who finds himself abandoned with his flock on the island where he has lived his whole life. The tale is worthy of a read, but probably not for younger children who might find the cruelty of the situation disturbing.

What attracted me to this book was the stunning artwork of the cover and with a simple name there is no giveaway as to what will go on. Due to it being a vintage book the story is definitely on the outdated side but a stunning read for those willing to try its old pages.

Although basically not tending to put too much emotion into Jock, Elizabeth does a great job in putting in the emotional side of a struggling heart fighting against the unknown scary events around him with the job of duty. And taking the struggling collie from an almost drear and hopeless survival existence into a world where hope is renewed.

Like some of her other books Elizabeth Coatsworth has a beautiful way of describing her character's world, making her characters show more realistic and setting an emotional message within an easy-to-read plot. There is some questionable material for a much younger audience yet the story is one that I would recommend for young adults interested in a good read. show less

Lovely quiet story for those who know that some dogs are much more intelligent, and brave, than some people know. I am so very glad that Jock finds an even better life/ family than the one he had.

I would like to know where the heck this island actually is, though... 1600 miles from next closest inhabited land, somewhere between Africa and S. America... ?

Edit - very likely the island is Tristan da Cunha. Google it; it's interesting!

Fiction based on historic event; story about a man and a Border Collie takes place in Tristan de Cunha. This is a small book, only 80 pages and many of those taken up with illustrations, but the story is heartwarming. Tristan de Cunha is a volcanic island in the South Atlantic, halfway between Africa and South America. Jock is a Border Collie. I can't tell much of the story without giving away the entire plot and its suspense. Suffice it to say there is plenty of Border Collie action including several herding scenes. Unlike many of the children's books of the era this one is straight fiction without moralizing, so it does not appear dated.