Born to Run
1975
- photograph collections
- music
- greyhound racing
- juvenile fiction
- greyhounds
- children's fiction
- dogs, fiction
- friendship
- dogs
- fiction
The story
There was something inside the bag, squeaking and squealing in terror. Patrick didn't think about it. He leaped into the canal." For Best Mate, being rescued is only the start of his adventures. From unwanted burden to favourite companion, and from pet to champion race dog, this remarkable greyhound proves that it's not just cats who have more than one life. Cast aside, kidnapped, or living rough on the streets, Best Mate can always find a way to survive. But will he ever find a real home?
What it’s like
Plain, warm prose with a close, affectionate view of a dog's ordinary days: the feel of a worn collar, a kitchen floor, a damp street at dusk, the restless waiting in a kennel before the race. The sensory world stays small and domestic, with the open track and the canal banks as the bigger, wilder spaces. Peril arrives in brief, sharp bursts (a sack, a cold splash, a night rough on the streets) and then the story settles back into gentle, hopeful company. The tone is tender and quietly sentimental, the pace brisk and chapter-led, easy to read in short stretches. Violence is minimal and off-page; there is fear and hardship but no gore or cruelty dwelt on. The emotional arc follows a dog moving from being unwanted to being loved, with the question of belonging carried through every change of fortune. It suits a rainy afternoon, a read-aloud with children, or a comfort read for anyone who loves animals. It is for readers who want a hopeful animal story with real stakes and a reassuring heart.
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