David Wroblewski

A Novel

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The follow-up to the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling modern classic The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Familiaris is the stirring origin story of the Sawtelle family and the remarkable dogs that carry the Sawtelle name. It is spring 1919, and John Sawtelle's imagination has gotten him into trouble ... again. Now John and his newlywed wife, Mary, along with their two best friends and their three dogs, are setting off for Wisconsin's northwoods, where they hope to make a fresh start--and, with a little luck, discover what it takes to live a life of meaning, purpose, and adventure. But the place they are headed for is far stranger and more perilous than they realize, and it will take all their ingenuity, along with a few new friends--human, animal, and otherworldly--to realize their dreams. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, mysterious and enchanting, Familiaris takes readers on an unforgettable journey from the halls of a small-town automobile factory, through an epic midwestern firestorm and an ambitious WWII dog-training program, and far back into mankind's ancient past, examining the dynamics of love and friendship, the vexing nature of families, the universal desire to create something lasting and beautiful, and of course, the species-long partnership between Homo sapiens and Canis familiaris.

Familiaris

A tale reminiscent of "Hamlet" that also celebrates the alliance between humans and dogs follows speech-disabled Wisconsin youth Edgar, who bonds with three yearling canines and struggles to prove that his sinister uncle is responsible for his father's death.

Mudo desde o nascimento, Edgar Sawtelle se comunica apenas por sinais e bilhetes. Leva com os pais uma vida tranquila, na fazenda da família. Ao longo de gerações, os Sawtelles criaram e treinaram uma raça de cães cujo dedicado companheirismo tem sua síntese em Almondine, a amiga e eterna aliada de Edgar. A volta inesperada de Claude, o tio paterno, leva o caos ao então pacífico lar dos Sawtelles. Após a morte repentina do pai de Edgar, Claude se insinua na vida da fazenda e conquista o afeto da mãe do menino. Confuso e dominado pelo sofrimento, o rapaz tenta provar que Claude teve algum papel na morte de seu pai, mas o plano fracassa e se volta contra ele, resultando em novas tragédias. Ao fugir para a área florestal nos limites da fazenda, Edgar amadurece em contato com a vida selvagem, por ter de lutar pela própria sobrevivência e a dos três jovens cães que o acompanharam. Contudo, a necessidade de apontar e de enfrentar o assassino do pai e a devoção aos cachorros sawtelle fazem o menino voltar para casa. David Wroblewski é um mestre da narrativa, um contador de histórias que arquiteta cenas e desenlaces arrebatadores: as fazendas primitivas do Norte dos Estados Unidos, o embate do homem com as forças da natureza, a mudança das estações, um icônico celeiro americano, uma aparição sobrenatural na chuva são alguns dos elementos dessa fascinante saga familiar, que trata de ódios, rancores e paixões.

A história de Edgar Sawtelle

Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Big Questions About Dogs and People

A riveting family saga, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle explores the deep and ancient alliance between humans and dogs, and the power of fate through one boy’s epic journey into the wild. Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong companion. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelle's once-peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm – and into Edgar's mother’s affections. Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires, spectacularly. Edgar flees into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm. He comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father’s murderer, and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs, turn Edgar ever homeward. Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes – the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a ghost made of falling rain – create a family saga that is at once a brilliantly inventive retelling of Hamlet, an exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.

David Wroblewski

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