Description
Pelecanos breaks new literary ground with the story of a dog's life—from the dog's perspective—on the mean streets of Washington, DC
EVER WONDER WHAT GOES ON IN THE MIND OF A DOG? Buster: A Dog is the story of one dog's lifelong journey, as told by Buster himself.
Buster, a strong and proud boxer, spends his early days with a loving family in a public housing complex in Washington, DC. Abruptly, he is taken away by an abusive, alcoholic man, plunging Buster into a challenging, nightmarish existence. Over the course of his life, he will experience homelessness, tragedy, a harrowing stay in a shelter, and acts of kindness, including his adoption by an older gentleman grieving the death of his wife. At his peak, Buster lives with a young marijuana dealer who runs a profitable but dangerous business in the city. Along the way, Buster befriends other dogs and witnesses the best and worst aspects of humanity. As the seasons change, and change again, he begins to understand the finality of existence and in turn learns to appreciate the gift of life
About the Author
GEORGE PELECANOS is the author of twenty-two novels and story collections set in and around Washington, DC, and has been the recipient of numerous international writing awards. He is a screenwriter, essayist, and television writer/producer whose credits include The Wire, Treme, The Deuce, and We Own This City. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Praise For…
Everything George Pelecanos writes is an occasion. You can't wait to dive back into his world of hard truths, flashes of beauty, the crushing weight of sudden loss. With his latest, a deceptively simple story of a dog navigating his way through various homes and owners in DC becomes a much larger parable of urban survival (and occasional, fleeting triumph) among the disenfranchised, the forgotten.
— Megan Abbott, author of Beware the Woman
A tour de force, an epic novel . . . in dog years! George Pelecanos takes us inside a boxer's point of view to further explore the streets, houses, and alleys of his beloved Washington, DC. You've not read a book like this or met a character like Buster, but he'll soon be your new best friend.
— Tom Franklin, author of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
This is great writing in every sentence. Yes, it's from a dog's point of view, and yes, we get the primary occurrences in any male dog's life. But this book is about America. You will read it straight through, then want to read it again. Buster is the dog we all want. Pelecanos is the writer we all wish we were.
— Chris Offutt, author of Code of the Hills