This Dog's Afterlife
By: David Shockley / Narrated By: Linda Graves
Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
Probably a better listen for those currently grieving the loss of a little companion…
I say that as someone who’s had PLENty of grief in the past but who is currently awash in the love of new companions in the home.
That said…
We meet Tucker, our canine hero, on the very last day of his life. He assures us that his life is no longer bearable, the pain is too bad, he hasn’t been able to run and jump for quite some time, and so he is completely grateful to his family for taking him to the vet, for holding him that one final time, their waves of grief washing over him.
And then it’s imMEDiately on to his new Afterlife where his dad, Rocket, is there to excitedly show him the ropes.
And then we’ve got oooodles of story on just what he can do now that he’s no longer bound by time and space. He can journey in time to before his death when he’s in the car and his canine brother Chinook is dancing around, wondering why Tucker won’t jump and play with him. But now Tucker’s spirit is able to interact with Chinook, who’s most certainly delighted to see Tucker well and happy. He reeeeally begins to dance and bark then, and Tucker’s owners wonder what all the fuss is about. Cuz they can’t see Tucker, Rocket informs him. He’ll have to make himself known to them in other ways.
There’s a jaunt to the grocery store where Rocket introduces Tucker to chocolate which, he tells the Listener, is DEADLY to dogs when they’re living (Do NOT feed your dog chocolate!) but is such a treat now that they won’t be poisoned by it. There are trips to see Tucker’s family, to feel their sadness, and then there’s the introduction of God who tells Tucker he goes by many names and is fond of them all (Thus assuring that any religion that believes in an Afterlife will be okay with this story… for the most part…). Tucker chooses to name him James, and it’s soon after this that he discovers that James Works in Mysterious Ways.
Soon (Well, not so soon, there’s more explanations of the Afterlife to go), both Rocket and Tucker come across a lonely child whose spirit will NOT move on. He’s miserable by the river he drowned in, and he’s apart from his grief-filled parents who’ve moved on to another address, a most unbearable life without him. Rocket and Tucker are tasked with getting the boy to embrace his Afterlife, and it’ll take some cunning and hijinks to get there, along with the help of a ragtag group of canines who are all good buddies with Rocket.
Here we have what’ll most likely be great for kids who’ve just lost a dog; it’s reassuring but reeeeally sweet and sentimental (Hence, good for adults who’re in the early stages of grief also). Plus, it provides them with the extra stories that’d be good for short attention spans. This might come off as overly saccharine (And a trifle dull to be honest) to the casual reader/listener.
Which is quite simply the grandest segue EVER for getting from story to narration. Linda Graves does the honors, and she has the slow and deliberate pacing/vocal acting necessary for a child who’s imagination must be spurred to life (Errrr, uhm, “After”life?). She does growly and playful voices for the dogs, and she does sinister sneering for the Evil dog who’ll use the boy’s regrets and repressed anger to vile ends. A bit over the top for me, but I can see it being engaging as all get-out to a little kid who just lost his buddy and wants to picture him/her out of a pain-ridden body and off to undertake feats of derring-do.
Barely clocking in at 3 hours, this was a nice little Listen when all was said and done. And I think it pairs nicely with Biblical Proof Animals Do Go to Heaven in that one can see grand imagery of animals coming back to comfort us in one way or another whether through signs, or dreams. or just warm memories that come to us when we’ve been feeling blue.
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