Old Dogs and Children: A Novel [Paperback]

Robert Inman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 1994

Bright Birdsong, widow and mother of prominent politicians, relives the challenges and choices, frustrations and joys, of small-town life in the South. A masterpiece of old-fashioned storytelling that vividly evokes one woman's remarkable life and her struggle to make peace with the past. Reading tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Looking back on her life, which she has spent in the small Southern town where first her lumberman father, then her congressman husband and now her son, the governor, have been the community's leading citizens, 68-year-old Bright Birdsong is bitter and disappointed. In the course of this leisurely, absorbing novel by the author of Home Fires Burning , Bright will first come to grips with her resentment that she has "largely defined herself by her responsibilities" and eventually admit that her own domineering qualities have had a large role in the development of her family and community relationships. Having chosen loyalty to her adored father over that to her husband--whom she refused to join in Washington, much to their children's emotional detriment--Bright has been a benefactor to the town. She has battled prejudice on behalf of the black community, and again does so when called upon by the son of the black woman who raised her. Other events conspiring to reengage Bright with life are the visit of her 10-year-old grandson, a $50,000 windfall, exposure of her son's philandering and a confrontation with her hostile daughter. Inman has a clear-eyed but compassionate understanding of the social fabric of the South and a feel for family dynamics. Although two sequences defy credibility--Bright's mother's vindictive reaction to a sexual episode, and the gratuitous inclusion of FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in the narrative--the novel is a nicely textured character study seen against a vividly realized setting.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Fans of Olive A. Burns's Cold Sassy Tree ( LJ 10/15/84) and Ferrol Sams's Run with the Horsemen (Peachtree, 1982) will love this deft fictional blend of past and present. Making use of artfully constructed flashbacks, Inman ( Home Fires Burning , LJ 12/15/86) allows readers to live alongside protagonist Bright Birdsong during her 68 years in a small Southern town. Her story reminds us that mistakes are a part of life, correcting them both an obligation and an opportunity. A page-turner whose subtleties make it well worth savoring at leisure, this entertaining book is recommended for general collections.
-Dorothy Golden, Georgia Southern Univ., Statesboro
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown & Company: Back Bay Books (March 21, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316419141
• ISBN-13: 978-0316419147
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,233,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book by an old-fashioned storyteller, January 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Old Dogs and Children: A Novel (Paperback)

A good story with great characters is the best reading experience, in my opinion. That's why I love the literature of the South. I've read all of Robert Inman's books recently -- they all have that great storytelling quality that all great Southern novels share. Old Dogs and Children is a wonderful, hopeful and heartbreaking book about the choices we make and the way they affect us and the people around is. It's about the importance of place -- and how leaving it or remaining in it is both a joy and a sacrifice. Bright Birdsong, like all the other characters in the novel, makes choices -- often with bad results, and sometimes with good ones. Robert Inman is one of those writers who, once you discover him, you read all his books voraciously, and are then angry at yourself for finishing them all so quickly. I hope he writes more!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly engrossing and emotional life story., October 31, 1999

By 

"superevie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Dogs and Children: A Novel (Paperback)

Bob Inman's novel Old Dogs and Children is a wonderful story and trip to another place. Mr. Inman in his traditionally breath- taking writing style, has the ability to show people not as bad or good, but as real- full of faults, dreams, and regrets. I loved every character and after closing the book still wonder how they are doing This is the mark of a truly great writer, this is the mark of Bob Inman. As the editor and creator of the online family magazine Families-First I look for excellent books like Mr. Inman's to offer to my online community. His writing is simply a joy to read. I always learn something when reading his stories, and feel richer in the afterglow of his novels.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Depth, Heart and Humor, January 25, 2005

By 

L. H. "Hobbs" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old Dogs and Children: A Novel (Paperback)

This is one of those books that takes a place for itself in the heart. I find myself recommending it to friends even years after having read it, when they ask what my favorite books are. The reader is so drawn into the story that it becomes a genuine experience. This is a book with depth, heart and humor. Most importantly, it makes us cherish our own passing days with a little more appreciation for the beauty and value in everyday things, be they old dogs, children or the myriad details that make a life. I applaud the author, Robert Inman for this enchanting gem.