ROSE IN A STORM

Get a case of tissues before you start listening. Tom Stechschulte’s calm yet poignant performance of Katz’s finely crafted story delivers all the joy, love, devotion, and sadness that anyone who has ever loved a great dog will understand. Sam and his faithful farm dog, Rose, face a raging blizzard on their farm in the Catskills, doing their best to secure the animals and their home. While the story is told from the dog’s point of view, Katz refrains from anthropomorphizing the border collie’s feelings and motivations, and Stechschulte keeps the raw emotion out of his voice. At the same time, both author and narrator present a clear and compelling story, which nonetheless rips the listener’s heart out, then puts it gently back in place. R.L.L. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2011]