Lassie Come-Home

"Diminished by mediocre tv shows and kiddie movies, the Lassie story is largely identified with mid 20th century "folks and family" culture, stressing small town, feel-good, middle of the road American values. Yet the original story is not American at all, but was written by an immigrant Brit to celebrate the fierce hardscrabble values of his native Yorkshire. <i>Lassie</i> may be the greatest animal adventure ever written, but it is also a wrenching tale of class and poverty.<br/><br/>Lassie is the pride of her working class village, not just because of her beauty but because "the whole village knew that not even the Duke of Rudling had been able to buy Lassie from Sam Carraclough...For 3 years the Duke had been trying to buy Lassie, and Sam had merely stood his ground...The village knew all about that. And that's why Lassie meant so much to them. She represented some sort of pride that money had not been able to take away from them".<br/><br/>Yet when the local coal mine shuts down and Sam is thrown out of work, "there comes a time in a man's life when fate had beaten him so that he must bow his head and decide he must eat his pride so that his family may eat bread". Despite the heartbreak to his young son Joe, Sam sells Lassie to the Duke. But will the Duke, with all his money and power be able to keep Lassie and Joe apart? Don't bet on it.<br/><br/><i>Lassie</i> is remembered for the heart-stopping action of the faithful collie's return journey, yet much of its power is in quiet scenes of love between people and their animals. Halfway on her journey, an injured Lassie is rescued by a lonely elderly couple; they try to adopt her but sense she is "on her way" home to Joe. If you can read without crying the scene where they bravely bid Lassie farewell, you are made of sterner stuff than I.<br/><br/>A moving and powerful love story, that never glosses over the soul killing effects of poverty. A great book to read aloud with your children.<br/><br/><br/><br/>"