A stray dog offers emotional support to its human owners. It's the period just after the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, which caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Many were left homeless and traumatised. A young man, Kazumasa, who has lost his job due to the disaster, discovers an abandoned dog at a convenience store. The dog looks scraggly and in need of some care, but also seems fairly intelligent and intuitive. He gives the dog food, invites him into his car, and in a desultory fashion, adopts him. The dog – it appears a mixed breed, part German Shepard, part Japanese – has a name tag: Tamon. Kazumasa has always had a bit of a reputation in his family as a bad boy. Since losing his job, he's taken on delivery work for a Yakuza gang. When his boss ups the ante and offers big money to drive a gang on an actual robbery, Kazumasa is torn. His mother has dementia and his sister is looking after her. They desperately need money. Even though this means Kazumasa will be an accomplice in a crime, he takes the job. For good luck, Kazumasa takes Tamon along. The job is a success and the thieves take to Tamon, calling him their “guardian angel”. One of the bandits even offers to buy Tamon, but Kazumasa won't part with him. It soon becomes obvious, though, that a life of crime carries enormous risks. Kazumasa and Tamon become irrevocably separated when a new crime job is botched. Having lost his owner, Kazumasa, Tamon continues on his own. The truth is, he has a deep sense of purpose and is on a journey of his own. Tamon is looking for a human he lost contact with long ago. As he patiently searches, Tamon is adopted by several more people – a gangster, an unhappily married couple, a sex worker and a young boy. Hase Seishū is a Japanese novelist specialising in Yakuza crime stories. Half of the interconnected tales in The Boy and the Dog have gritty crime themes. The chief charm of Seishū's writing is its pared back simplicity and lack of pretension. While the story has a lot of sentimental qualities, it skillfully avoids mawkishness. The varied cast of characters are all compelling in their authenticity and drawn with an astute understanding of human frailties. The chapter featuring a wife who feels she has made the wrong choice in her freewheeling husband, when she needs someone more grounded, is particularly affecting. It is, however, Tamon, the eerily wise dog that steals the show. He brings calm and peace to all he meets, working almost like a healer among this group of damaged humans. A gritty, realistic novel that also exhibits grace and dignity. The Boy and the Dog, by Seishu Hase. Published by Scribner. $32.99 Review by Chris Saliba Comments are closed.
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