Natasha’s life is emotionally blighted by this loss, as we see in chapters interspersed with the heart of the story which is of how Zoya survives in this fierce, cold and terrifying landscape where it is not just predators she has to fear. She makes it in the wild, mating with a wolf and raising two cubs, Misha and the radiation damaged Bratan and when she is finally killed in a battle with a lynx the story becomes theirs.

Dogs of the Deadlands eBook by Anthony McGowan | Official Dogs of the Deadlands eBook by Anthony McGowan | Official

Natasha is dragged from her bed in the middle of the night as the world seems to be coming to an end. She is forced to leave her beloved puppy behind and has no idea if she will ever return. Puppies Misha and Bratan must learn to live wild and fast in the shadow of the ruined nuclear plant. Creatures lurk in the woods watching them. Will the dogs survive without humans, and can humans live without them? Natasha never really gets over the pain of abandoning Zoya and we see how this affects the life she leads and the person she becomes. For the dogs, this is a tale of treading the balance between their domestic instincts and the wildness needed to survive in a tough and hostile environment. A reader said this book was "both savage and beautiful" and I agree. The author also said this is Call of the Wild meets Watership Down meets War and Peace — and "if it doesn’t frighten and excite you, and eventually make you cry, then I've failed." As with any great animal story, there is a degree of anthropomorphism, as it’s hard not to see the dogs’ personalities through human characteristics but the wild behaviour of the animals is not sugar-coated though and comes across as very realistically animal in nature.On my way! To see @neildegrassetyson Do you think he will like my shirt? I have. #VIP meet and greet. A powerful glimpse at the untold stories of those often forgotten, will raise questions in young readers about Chernobyl and energy safety. And it certainly didn’t disappoint.The book is pretty epic in its timespan and follows two stories; that of human girl Natasha, who is forced to flee the devastation of Chernobyl and that of her pup, Zoya, and the other dogs that are left behind. This is recommended for 10+ and I would definitely agree with this, as it doesn’t shy away from the hardships and reality of the dogs survival. Many poor creatures meet their ends in the name of dinner! The fight for supremacy in the wilds is often portrayed as realistically brutal too.

Dogs of the Deadlands: Shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Dogs of the Deadlands: Shortlisted for the Week Junior Book

I sped through this though, caught up in visually arresting scenes of destroyed forests, starving and brutalised animals but also comradeship and loyalty, love and trust. The answer to all these questions can be found in Anthony McGowan’s spellbinding novel, Dogs of the Deadlands. The award-winning author weaves a tale that is bound to tug at your heartstrings right from the beginning. His writing style is vivid and has a lyrical lilt to it. Each and every word seems to speak to you and make you feel like a character of the story. I was indeed moved by the intense descriptions of hunger and loss, love and loyalty. The travails of the animals, their desperate attempt to quench hunger, the fight to stay alive, and the intense battles with dangerous predators like lynxes, bears, and wolves keep you on the edge throughout the story. Add to that, a dash of romance, a pinch of deep friendships, and sacrificial familial loyalty, and you have yourself a winner. The beautiful sketches by Keith Robinson enliven the story even more.

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A stimulating and rewarding on-stage conversation; a lively informed and tolerant audience; privileged access to the great treasures of the Bodleian, and finally, wonderfully interesting dinner companions to help me conclude the best day I have enjoyed at any festival – anywhere. For more posts like this, here’s the link: https://thechrysalisbrewproject.com/category/bookish-posts/. Disclaimer and Disclosure Her joy turns to heartbreak, however, when she is dragged from her bed in the middle of the night and evacuated to a safe place after a cataclysmic nuclear disaster: with her family but without her beloved puppy, Zoya. The world is coming to an end. Dragged from her bed in the middle of the night and forced to leave her beloved puppy behind, Natasha has no idea if she’ll ever return home.

Dogs of the Deadlands | Oxford Literary Festival Dogs of the Deadlands | Oxford Literary Festival

Lara Feigel and Tessa Hadley Look! We Have Come Through! Living With D H Lawrence Weston Lecture Theatre 2:00pm Sun 2 Sunday, 2 April 2023 See this event Anthony McGowan has managed to capture a really pure type of animal communication here; the whole thing just works so well with the description and the simple inference of what's meant. The highs and lows have you celebrating and mourning in turn and it feels perfectly wrapped up. As much as I'd like to read more about Misha's later years the book just works with what's contained within it. Suspension of disbelief does come into play a little but honestly, I'm all there for it. It's a little like junior magical realism? It's perfect for me as I like to see hope overcome all the odds. The night in Oxford was the most beautiful event I have ever done. Not just the spectacular setting (of the Sheldonian), but an unforgettable evening.

The Oxford Literary Festival has in my mind become the leading literary festival of the year. The organisation, the roster of speakers, the ambience and the sheer quality of it all is superb. May it now go from strength to strength each year stretching its ambition more and more. I believe it will. I loved the whole atmosphere of the Oxford Literary Festival. From breakfast, alongside some of the attendees, who were talking books with each other a mile a minute, to the public event at The Sheldonian where everyone was lively and engaged – I felt I had arrived in a kind of literary heaven. Hannah Gold Unforgettable Animal Adventures Exeter College: Marquee 2:00pm Sun 2 Sunday, 2 April 2023 See this event Amidst the gore and trauma is a remarkable and intimate story of loyalty and love, resilience, survival and hope. The Carnegie medal winner McGowan is superb at stories about children who do not have all the advantages.’ Sunday Times

Dogs of the Deadlands” by Anthony A Book Review by Kajori: “Dogs of the Deadlands” by Anthony

Dogs of the Deadlands by Anthony McGowan is one of those books that is both savage and beautiful and I have no doubt will stay with me for a long time. The story begins on Natasha’s birthday where she gets the most amazing present of all: a little Samoyed puppy that she names Zoya. But disaster soon tears Natasha away from her puppy as the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s reactor number 4 explodes and Natasha and her family must evacuate and leave everything behind, including Zoya. This was a real emotional read and I admit to shedding a tear or two in a few places. The relationships between both humans and dogs, and dogs and other animals is beautifully written. I particularly loved the bond between brothers Misha and Bratan. their intelligence – this makes a huge difference for a speaker. In the Oxford audience I encountered many experts in the field my book covered and even one of the ambassadors I’d quoted Hello Book Friends! It has been a while since a book had me in tears at the end. DOGS OF THE DEADLANDS by Anthony McGowan just did that. This middle-grade book is a beautiful story of family, courage, and fate. Some parts were difficult to read because of the death content but that’s nature’s way and it is not avoidable. I love Misha’s story and I cheered for him to the end. Written mostly from the point of view of the animals, this illustrated book is a wonderful. The Oxford festival is the most elegant and atmospheric of literary festivals. It’s a pleasure to both attend and perform there.Steeped in Richard Adams’ Plague Dogs and Watership Down, yet wearing all the hallmarks of Barry Hines at his finest, Dogs of the Deadlands is a wonderful thing. It moved me and stayed with me for an awfully long time.’ Phil Earle, author of When the Sky Falls Anthony McGowan Dogs of the Deadlands Exeter College: Marquee 10:00am Sun 2 Sunday, 2 April 2023 See this event It was a privilege for me to visit the festival to receive the Bodley Medal. As an incidental blessing I saw Oxford at its most mysterious and atmospheric. It was a day of piercing cold and as I walked through the twilight from the Sheldonian to Christ Church, the streets were empty and the whole city was shutting itself away. Christ Church was silent except for the footfall of unseen persons around corners and the sounds of evensong creeping from behind closed doors. For the first time I understood thoroughly the power of college ghost stories.