A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron

 A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron - 336 pages (11 hours 20 minutes Audiobook)

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Lucas Ray is shocked when an adorable puppy jumps out of an abandoned building and into his arms. Though the apartment he shares with his mother, a disabled veteran, doesn't allow dogs, Lucas can't resist taking Bella home.

As it becomes more difficult to hide her from the neighbors, Lucas begins to sneak Bella into the VA where he works. There, Bella brings joy and comfort to the patients.

After Bella is picked up by Animal Control because pit bulls are banned in Denver, Lucas has no choice but to send her to a foster home until he can figure out what to do. But Bella, distraught at the separation, doesn't plan to wait. With four hundred miles of dangerous Colorado wilderness between her and her person, Bella sets off on a seemingly impossible and completely unforgettable adventure home.

The book is told from the dog's perspective, and that made it feels a bit odd to me. This book was one our Book to Movie Club selections, and I must admit I liked the movie better. The dog's narration in the movie felt more organic than in the book.

A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron

 A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron-327 pages

Bella is a loving stray dog found living in a den with cats under a condemned house by Lucas. He lives in an apartment across the street from the condemned house and feeds the cats frequently. Bella immediately takes to Lucas and he takes her in even though it's against his lease agreement. Lucas lives with his mom, who is an Army veteran who struggles with depression and seizures. Bella twice recognizes oncoming seizures from Mom and saves her. Bella and Lucas build a strong bond and Bella views him as her person. However, Lucas runs afoul of the mean man building new housing across the street by continuing to feed and advocate for the cats still living in the den under the house. This man, Gunter, recruits an Animal Control Officer (ACO) to certify Bella as a pit bull. Pit bulls are banned in Denver, where Lucas lives. Soon, Bella is captured by the ACO and separated from Lucas. They're reunited only to be separated again. Bella is determined to get home to Lucas. Will she be able to survive the nearly 400 mile trek back to Lucas? I would rate this one 3 out of 5 stars.

A Dog's Perfect Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron

 288 pages

"The problems fracturing the Goss family as Christmas approaches are hardly unique, though perhaps they are handling them a little differently than most people might. But then a true emergency arises, one with the potential to not only ruin Christmas, but everything holding the family together.

"Is the arrival of a lost puppy yet another in the string of calamities facing them, or could the little canine be just what they all need?"  --from the publisher

This is the first book I've read by Cameron so I don't know if they are all written in the same format. From the title, I thought the book would be told from a dog's perspective, but the voice bounces back and forth from character to character. There are also frequent (every few pages) time lapses in the story. These two things make the tale very disjointed. That said, I did enjoy the characters. They were portrayed pretty realistically, imho. I give it three out of five stars.