The Story of Edgar Sawtelle literally tells the life story of the titular protagonist. Edgar is born mute (he hears just fine and learns to write and to sign). He grows up on a farm where he and his parents raise a unique breed of dog, the Sawtelle. The first half of the book revels in the warm detail of life on the farm and in the kennel, and it features a few brief passages convincingly written from the viewpoint of a dog. Edgar's family members (including the dogs) are richly detailed, and there doesn't need to be very much plot to keep things interesting.

In the second half of the novel, big changes happen to Edgar, and the reader accompanies him through some difficult times. This part of the book is a little bit uneven, and there are some mild supernatural elements that rubbed me the wrong way and nearly ruined the ending, but I guess they work for most people.

In sum, I was totally absorbed by the first half of the book and enjoyed the rest, even though it frustrated me a bit. For a book that was pimped by both Stephen King (in Entertainment Weekly) and Oprah, this was surprisingly good!