The Rufus Chronicle

Rating:
Summary: A "must read" for quail hunters and dog lovers
Review: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Book Review The Rufus Chronicle: Another Autumn by C.W. Gusewelle Review by Jim Ewing, editorial writer, The Clarion-Ledger, newspaper (Jackson, MS)

Quote: "Some men learn about forgiveness by studying lives of saints. And some of us keep dogs . . ."       - C.W. Gusewelle

Review: Rarely does a book come along that seems upon first reading like reacquainting oneself with an old friend. But, with The Rufus Chronicle: Another Autumn, author C.W. Gusewelle's writing is like taking a walk in the quail fields with hunters we have known.

The book (Ballantine. $19.95) is about Gusewelle's dog, Rufus, a Brittany Spaniel. Rather, it is a chronicle, a diary of the life of Rufus with Gusewelle from a pup until maturity at 13 seasons. Dog lovers and quail hunters will love this book. It has plenty of dog lore, from . . .

n Puppyhood: "His world is divided into two categories of objects: those made o! f tempered steel, and thus not edible. And all the rest."

n Middle age: "We both sleep better after our hunts. What for a while was a contest of wills had turned into comradeship. It's wonderful to see the blooming of a fine intelligence, even if with a bird dog, as with children, that can take some serious waiting."

n Elder years: "I've seen people wear out, forget their purpose. But, an old bird dog, when autumn comes, always can smell tomorrow on the wind."

The book is funny: " 'You know,' I said to one of my daughters the other day, 'Rufus is the like the brother I never had.' "She considered that for a moment. 'That would make him, what, my uncle? ' " 'I suppose it would.' " 'Then, his pups are my cousins,' she said. " 'Right,' I told her. 'And you could do a whole lot worse.' "

The book has wisdom: "There's no surer way to friendship than to praise a stranger's dog."

Good advice: "Logic said no quail could be there. But, it pays to believe the dog."

And! secrets: Quail hunting "is a punishing walk, punctuated at! long intervals by groups of startled men discharging their guns meaninglessly into the air, and disappointed dogs running to and fro on the faint chance there might be a bird to pick up."

Along the way, we also learn that men often explain their hunting by saying "they only do it out of obligation to the dogs." And, "a morning hunt's missed is one you'll never have again."

A writer for The Kansas City Star since 1955, Gusewelle has written five other books and, in 1977, he received the Paris Review's Aga Khan Prize for Fiction. Chronicle is a time well spent, foraging in the fields of the heart.

Reviewer: Jim Ewing, 45, publicity chairman for Mississippi Ducks Unlimited, was chosen 1997 Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Mississippi Wildlife Federation. An avid hunter, his writing has appeared in several outdoor magazines and in one anthology, The Magnolia Club. He is chief editorial writer for The Clarion-Ledger newspaper and lives on a houseboat at Ross ! Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi. He can be reached by email at [e-mail]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rating:
Summary: If you have loved a hunting dog....
Review: If you have loved a hunting dog, enjoyed walking through the woods with such a friend during the fall hunting season, or simply have enjoyed the close companionship of a devoted canine friend, I bet you'll enjoy this book. I first listened to it as a Book On Tape, and it held my attention through every cassette. Afterward, I had to buy a copy of the book, and also have given it to friends. The only illustration is of a covey rising, repeated through the 14 chapters. Color photos of Mr. Gusewelle's Brittanies grace the dust jacket. Good stuff!