Molly, the Dog That Wouldn't Quit

All dog story lovers should be grateful to Gray’s Publishing for making Charles Perkins’ Molly, the Dog That Wouldn’t Quit (originally published in 1966 as Molly) available again.

This story has absolutely everything to make it first-rate. The dog, a Saint Bernard, is beautiful, brave, clever, and lovable, but she does get into trouble. The owner is a boy (lovable in a way, too) who also gets into trouble at times. The two of them have a wonderful and adventurous time growing up together. Life in Prince George, B.C., fifty years ago was pretty well on the frontier, so that in itself is intriguing. The minor characters, from the town doctor to the trapper with the wolf-dog, are interesting. The “Mountie,” Sergeant Taylor, is lovingly described and we can see — through his strength of character, understanding, compassion, and even his skills — why the RCMP has a special place in so many Canadian hearts even today.

The final and best, although perhaps most atypical part of this animal story, is the way it ends. Molly does not drag herself over the threshold, lick her master’s hand and drop dead as a stone. No! In the last chapter, “Mollie is fine except for a bit of rheumatism” and has just been awarded a medal for bravery!