2021-08-20
A fictional autobiography focuses on a local Panacea, Florida, celebrity: a stray yellow dog who learns to depend on himself and the kindness of one special fan.
Surf Dude introduces himself in Andrews’ opening paragraph in lines that poignantly establish the emotional construct of the narrative’s protagonist: “I’m just your average yellow dog that once was loved, but became a drifter unexpectedly. I’m not sure what I’m looking for, perhaps a place where thunder, shotguns, fireworks, and mean people with cowboy boots don’t exist.” The canine was born in the woods of South Carolina. One fateful day, while his Mama was busy stalking prey, the pup was grabbed and tossed into a pickup truck by Leo, a large man wearing pointy boots. Leo drove home and threw the puppy into the lap of his girlfriend, Jorene. Despite his fear of humans, Leo in particular, the puppy became devoted to Jorene, who named him Honeybun and showered him with affection. Life changed the day Leo attacked Jorene. “I didn’t mean to do what I did,” Honeybun tells readers. “Jorene was my pack, and he was threatening her. I jumped up on the bed and sank my teeth into his forearm, right over his new tattoo.” It was time for Jorene and Honeybun to leave. They headed for the Florida Panhandle, where they spent several happy years in a campground trailer. Then tragedy struck, and Honeybun began his adventures as a loner wandering Surf Road. The articulate novel is based loosely on the real Surf Dude (thought to be a Carolina dog or a Carolina mix), who has inspired his own Facebook page and who still roams around Panacea and its environs, occasionally posing for photographs—if folks keep their distance. Andrews infuses her wily, resourceful pooch with a delightful, realistically canine interpretation of the world. She is a skillful storyteller, and her narrative engagingly mixes light humor, a bit of pathos, and assorted adventures with the compelling tale of Surf Dude’s cautiously evolving friendship with Russ, the older man who feeds him twice a day.
A captivating, tender, and enjoyable genre winner for canine lovers.
