The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski | Teen Ink

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski MAG

March 5, 2009
By thatfragilecapricorn BRONZE, Liberty, New York
thatfragilecapricorn BRONZE, Liberty, New York
2 articles 12 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;I love people. Everybody. I love them, I think, as a stamp collector loves his collection. Every story, every incident, every bit of conversation is raw material for me. My love&rsquo;s not impersonal yet not wholly subjective either. I would like to be everyone, a cripple, a dying man, a whore, and then come back to write about my thoughts, my emotions, as that person. But I am not omniscient. I have to live my life, and it is the only one I&rsquo;ll ever have. And you cannot regard your own life with objective curiosity all the time&hellip;&rdquo;<br /> <br /> -Sylvia Plath


What are you looking for in a book? Action? Suspense? A devastating fire? A faithful canine? An awkward run-in with a newly engaged ex-fiancée? If so, you’re in luck, because The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (penned by master storyteller David Wroblewski) has all of these.

This book is thick, but don’t be intimidated by its size. It’s truly a modern classic destined to end up on the bookshelf wedged between To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In this lovely tome you’ll find an idyllic story of Gar, Trudy, and their mute son, Edgar. Edgar communicates with sign language, which is fine because he only interacts with his mother, father, and dog, Almondine, who all understand ASL. Edgar lives a relatively quiet life, and wakes every morning to the sight of the dog kennel that has been in his family for generations.

The dogs on the Sawtelle farm are bred by Gar, named by Edgar, and trained by Trudy. They are such a phenomenon that people come from all over the country to see them.

All this is turned upside down when Edgar’s uncle, Claude, returns to the farm he deserted long ago. Gar is suddenly found dead, but Edgar cannot prove that his uncle was involved because Claude has already found his way into Trudy’s affections. When Edgar attempts to prove that his uncle is after the kennel’s money, his plan goes horribly wrong, and Edgar is forced to flee for his life.

Novelist extraordinaire David Wroblewski has spun an exciting tale of love, loss, and hope.


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This article has 2 comments.


Kara said...
on Mar. 18 2009 at 6:28 pm
Hey Tiff,

I love this and I'll send it to all our freinds. Keep Writing!

XOXO

Kara

LW said...
on Mar. 13 2009 at 12:44 pm
Great review