Book Review – ‘Madison Weatherbee’
Author: Barbara Anne Kirshner – CreateSpace.com
Reviewed by Jeb Ladouceur
Some books are provocative, some informative, others are challenging … and a rare few prove downright charming. Barbara Anne Kirchner’s 107-page novel about a fictitious adventure undertaken by one of her three Dachshund dogs falls squarely (and delightfully) into the latter category. The book is titled ‘Madison Weatherbee’ … and it’s sub-titled ‘…The Different Dachshund.’
There. I told you it was charming!
Anyone who’s ever owned one of these long, little, four-legged clowns need not be reminded just how entertaining this particular breed of dog can be. Perhaps it will serve the reader to point out that in this country, as well as the United Kingdom, the ‘Dachsy’ is classified as a Scent Hound. This is so because the breed was developed to make maximum use of its particularly keen sense of smell in hunting and trailing animals. Another feature peculiar to the Dachshund (though not exclusively) is its terrier-like love for digging. Terrier aficionados frequently insist that the ‘sausage dog’ belongs in their favorite group … indeed, the little Dachshund does display the persistence which characterizes Terriers the world over.
At any rate, suffice it to say that with a determined ‘Dachsy’ in hot pursuit of some varmint, the critter doesn’t stand much of a chance at all.
Those characteristics, then, pretty much profile the star of Barbara Anne Kirshner’s mini-saga about a typical female Dachshund, but one that for a totally minor reason nobody wants … and who consequently gets into all kinds of difficulties while looking desperately for a loving home.
And what a laundry list of adventures our ‘Madison Weatherbee’ encounters on the way to what naturally is a predictable conclusion. There’s her maiden airplane ride … Madison’s first trip to New York’s Times Square … her initial visit to the Central Park Zoo … a debut appearance on the Broadway stage (my favorite episode) … and a whole host of experiences that only an inquisitive little ‘Dachsy’ could sniff out.
This is an endearing notion that animal advocate Barbara Kirshner has dreamed up. The idea smacks of the phenomenally successful ‘Home Alone’ motion picture, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if ‘Madison Weatherbee’ made her way to the big screen one day soon. I found the story immensely pleasing as Kirshner piled installments atop one another … making it inevitable that the reader fall head over heels in love with her intrepid little heroine.
You simply must meet ‘The Different Dachshund.’ And by all means, introduce her to the children in your family. They’re likely to reward you with one of those slurping kisses that the unmistakable ‘sausage doggies’ are famous for.
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Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of a dozen novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His recent hit, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s newly completed thriller, THE SOUTHWICK INCIDENT, was introduced recently at the Smithtown Library. The book involves a radicalized Yale student and his CIA pursuers. Mr. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com