Tomorrow

April 23, 2018
Courageous canine capers and evocative historical interludes anchor Dibben’s uplifting but often melancholy tale of an immortal dog and his centuries-spanning life with his equally everlasting master. Injected with an elixir as a puppy, the large brown dog, who narrates the novel, becomes companion to an itinerant physician and chemist who serves the royalty of Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. In 1688, the dog loses his beloved master in Venice, then spends the next 127 years waiting at the Venice cathedral for the physician to return. After befriending an abandoned pooch named Sporco, the dog recounts tales of traveling with his master through the battlefields of Europe, attending lavish balls, meeting composer Schubert and poet Byron, and taking a witty mate. Then, in 1815, the dog spots Vilder, an old and also immortal business associate of his master who is bent on revenge for a long-ago tragedy. Although Vilder once tried to kill the dog, he follows Vilder, believing the man will lead him to his lost companion. Despite some disjointed time jumps, Dibben’s tearjerker is a lyrical commentary on war, rivalry, sacrifice, and, above all else, loyalty.

November 1, 2017

From the court of King Charles I to the War of the Spanish Succession to dark-lit 1800s Venice, a stoic dog trots along in search of the master who granted him immortality. He's friendly with pawed and hoofed creatures as well as bipedal humans, though he thinks their proclivity for war is outrageous. From the creator of the internationally acclaimed children's book series "The History Keepers"; how can you resist?

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2018
In 1688 Venice, an eloquent, cultured dog who has survived war and revolution becomes separated from his owner, a physician who dabbles in the "chemystry" of immortality.After a confusing prologue in which a dead body is found on a beach in Denmark in 1602, the story opens properly in Venice in 1815, long after the dog and his owner have become separated. The dog lived a mostly comfortable life prior to the separation, but in the aftermath, his days are impoverished and worry-filled. The dog's first-person narrative is both a joy and a frustration. The memoirlike story is beautifully rich in perseverance, love, the sweetness of life, and memorable, evocative scents. But the dog's owner and their nemesis, Vilder, another "chemyst," are known only through the dog's limited point of view. Neither the dog nor his owner is named until late in the story. Until then, the dog is only "my champion," the owner just "my master." The dog's canine love interest, Blaise, and companion-in-adventure, Sporco, a skinny stray transformed into a loyal sidekick, are sympathetic partners in the dog's life.After 127 years of patiently waiting, a supremely loyal dog sets off across Europe, through the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, hoping to be reunited with his owner.

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March 1, 2018
Loyalty is about sacrifice and fidelity, and Champion is a dog with a steadfast heart that beats for centuries. After a magical elixir extends his life but separates him from his beloved master, he is destined to live for over 200 years searching to recover that deep and profound connection. Throughout his journey, he is a keen and erudite observer of some of history's most intriguing events, characters, and places, including Waterloo, the War of the Spanish succession, King Charles I, the palace of Versailles, and nineteenth-century Venice. The writing is filled with sensory descriptions, and the smells and sights of the evolving world are beautifully rendered by the diligent canine narrator. Humanity's foibles and failings are on full display, as well as the more heartfelt and loving moments between people and their dogs. This reads like a memoir but includes a touch of magic that makes the dog's journey back to his master feel both ephemeral and timeless. For fans of historical fiction or animal tales, Dibben's soulful debut is a charmer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)