Bad Luck Dog

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian in Pickering, Ontario.

Bad Luck Dog, Dianne Warren’s second collection of short fiction,
received the City of Regina Book Award for 1993 as well as the
Saskatchewan Book Award. The 10 stories in this collection portray
working people in western Canadian settings who struggle with
hopelessness and despair. Ill fortune is ever present in the lives of
these characters, as they face loss of possessions, dwellings,
livelihood, and loved ones.

In the title piece, Fred, who has “had more than the average dose of
bad luck,” loses job after job, causes the death of his wife in a car
accident, and cannot retain custody of his teenage daughter. Though
circumstances seem to be improving for Fred at the close of the story,
his daughter, as narrator, still envisions the “old hound dog
stretched out at his feet.” Other characters in these stories respond
to their pain by attempting some form of escape. Some physically move
from place to place; others mentally withdraw—for example, the mother
in “Night Music” drinks and listens to the police radio to blot out
the death of her husband and her loss of control over her delinquent
children.

These stories are presented with a strong, clear voice and perspective
that prevent them from becoming totally mired in their tragic themes.
Warren’s particular strength is her ability to create natural dialogue
and completely credible characters.