Gray Dawn

Rating:
Summary: A handsome package of an old favorite
Review: Gray Dawn is a reissued paperback edition of the stories written by Albert Payson Terhune for The Ladies' Home Journal in 1927 in serial form. Many of us whose childhood spanned the 40's and 50's remember reading about the merle collie with the steadfast, loyal heart who was such a charming personality and unexpected clown. My mother-in-law reread it and remembered that reading Albert Payson Terhune's books about collies had inspired her to begin breeding collies. Her story is not unique. Terhune's tales of collies have touched all readers deeply over the years. It is good to see a lovely reprint of the Gray Dawn stories. My first reading of them came when I received a box of my uncle's childhood literary favorites which included Lad, A Dog, Gray Dawn, and at least eight or ten other Terhune titles. This was back in about 1953. Although Terhune has a reputation as a juvenile fiction writer, his books are not written "down" to children, and they hold continued appeal for the adult audience. There will always be a need for the authentic portrayal of the values of courage, honor, natural beauty, loyalty, and love of life. These are readily found in Gray Dawn, in addition to humour, intricate descriptive detail of natural surroundings, and an overflowing reverence for life. Introduced by Terhune scholar Wayne Lewis, this lovely new edition of Gray Dawn with its full color portrait of the grey collie on its cover is a handsome package of an old favorite ready for rediscovery by yet another generation. Perhaps many readers, like myself, will experience the joy of nostalgia while rereading the vivid pages. Terhune wears well.