by
Hallelujah is a white Standard Poodle who came to live with the Jordans to keep her autistic uncle, Max, company. Follow Halle to 'The Show' and then her own litter of puppies, and finally to the Show again with daughter Bonnie. But if you think this book is only about poodles you will have another think coming.
A nine-week old puppy, torn away from her litter mates and her mother, shouldn't have to sleep in a crate, in a strange kitchen, all alone, on her first night. Of course not. She would sleep in Marlene's bedroom. We had two crates for her – one in the kitchen, convenient for daytime monitoring and house training; and one in Marlene's bedroom, snugged up against the dresser, with a nice cozy flannelette sheet draped over, for darkness and comfort – a domesticated den.
(You might be wondering where the master of the house slept. Well Max already had his mattress in one corner in Marlene's bedroom and though he was mighty curious about the new crate, he wasn't about to move into it, or move out of Marlene's room.
READ MORE(Oh, you meant me, the master storyteller! Well one thing I had learned after thirty-five years of marriage is that compromise and accommodation is what makes it last . I snore: I sleep in a separate bedroom. The ‘Master Bedroom’ is now a quaint anachronism. Marital longevity may rely on separate sleeping arrangements more than is generally admitted. It’s a practical matter – better a good night’s sleep and civility in the morning than clinging to the myth of the marriage bed. I suppose the only recurring question is why it was the ‘master’ who had to leave the Master Bedroom.)
COLLAPSE"I had to sit quietly with my thoughts prior to writing this review. The Hallelujah Chorus, while informative on a lot of topics besides Poodles, left me with a deeper appreciation for the written word. Author, Doug Jordan, invites you on a journey with him to such an extent, the reader feels that they too are in the story. So well done are the descriptive passages of what the “The Chorus” of characters are like and get up to, you feel you are living the moments and years alongside Mr. Jordan and his family. Moments of joy and sadness, awe, humour and lastly, love. Because if there is one undercurrent of themes in this novel it is that of love. Love of family, friends and of course, love for those dogs. This is not a novel solely for Poodle lovers, or even dog lovers. No, it is a novel with heart. And all of us could benefit from stories like these. A solid 5 stars."
