The Dog Stars

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if some sort of monumental disaster occurred on earth that destroyed all our economic and social systems? How would people behave? How would they survive? Would compassion or self-preservation rule? Writers have been posing these questions for years (think Lord of the Flies). There are many dystopian novels on the market right now, so evidently a lot of people are interested in thinking and reading about a post-apocalyptic life. The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller, is one of these "end-of-the-world" novels, but it is a standout, both in plot and character. As author Pam Houston so aptly puts it, "Leave it to Peter Heller to imagine a post-apocalyptic world that contains as much loveliness as it does devastation." Hig survived the flu that killed everyone he knows. He is a pilot who takes up residence with his dog in an abandoned airplane hangar. He does have a neighbor, an odd character who is always angry and flashing his gun. Hig is lonely but not despairing. He retains an element of hope, and this is what makes the novel so appealing. The reader wants so badly for Hig to live well, not simply survive. In an effort to do this, Hig takes out a small plane and flies farther than he ever has before, past the point at which he won't have enough fuel to return, and hopes for the best. What he finds will both warm you and chill you. This will be the March selection for the Delphi Morning Book Club, so extra copies are available. If you'd like to join us for a rousing discussion, the book club will meet on Friday, March 28, at 9 am.