Dear Great Book Guru, Presidents' Weekend is coming up and I am planning on spending it in Sea Cliff with friends and family but I always like to have a good book on hand- something unusual, something beyond my usual comfort zone. Any ideas? Willing to Throw Caution to the Wind


Dear Willing- I know just how you feel - this is the time of year to try something new and I have just the book for you - RIN TIN TIN by Susan Orlean. Let me make it clear: I am NOT a dog lover- well, I do have a dog of sorts although I think most would call Oberon faux- but I liked this book because it was so much more than an animal story. Orlean details the horror of war, the science of eugenics, life in orphanages at the turn of the century, the history of the movie industry, the birth of television, the evolving status of dogs and, finally she introduces us to the many fascinatingly obsessive characters that surrounded Rin Tin Tin. The story opens in a small town on the border of France and Germany- a very dangerous and brutal place in 1917 when Lee Duncan arrived as an infantry soldier . There are dogs all about serving a myriad of roles: bringing medicine, bandages, cigarettes to the wounded and, in the end, offering comfort to the dying .In this nightmarish world, Duncan finds two newborn pups that he names Nanette and Rin Tin Tin after a pair of lucky charms that were popular in France at the time. Nanette dies shortly after but Rin Tin Tin proves to be Duncan's lucky charm, indeed. He survives the war, returns home with this spectacularly intelligent dog and his fortune is made as Rin Tin Tin becomes star of countless silent films and later a hugely popular TV series. We follow the ups and downs of their life together and in between we learn about the cultural history of the 20th century. This is a wonderfully enlightening and tender story. I think you'll love it!