LOVE, CLANCY
Diary of a Good Dog
From W. Bruce Cameron, the internationally bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Way Home, comes Love, Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog, a deeply moving story with a brand-new cast of characters, including one very good dog—now in paperback.
You’ve probably never met someone like Clancy. He’s keeping a diary, he’s falling in love, there are rivals for his affections, he lives with his best friend and his worst enemy—even taken together, these factors are maybe not that unusual, except that Clancy is a dog. His point of view is therefore perhaps…different.
From W. Bruce Cameron, the internationally bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Way Home, comes Love, Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog, a deeply moving story with a brand-new cast of characters, including one very good dog—now in paperback.
You’ve probably never met someone like Clancy. He’s keeping a diary, he’s falling in love, there are rivals for his affections, he lives with his best friend and his worst enemy—even taken together, these factors are maybe not that unusual, except that Clancy is a dog. His point of view is therefore perhaps…different.
Told in Cameron’s signature style, a tremendous cast of wonderful characters find themselves jointly and separately navigating the challenges of life, of love, and…other pets, including Clancy’s “worst enemy”—one very disdainful cat. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially when things start to spin hilariously out of control, but fortunately, we’ve got the observations of Clancy, a very good dog, who shares a valuable perspective on what is really important.
- Forge
- Paperback
- January 2023
- 335 Pages
- 9781250163561
Buy the Book
$18.99
About W. Bruce Cameron
W. Bruce Cameron is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, A Dog’s Way Home, and A Dog’s Journey (all now major motion pictures), The Dog Master, A Dog’s Promise, the Puppy Tales for young readers (starting with Ellie’s Story and Bailey’s Story), The Dogs of Christmas, The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man, and others. He lives in California.
Praise
Praise for W. Bruce Cameron:
“Another winning tale of an extraordinary human-canine companionship full of tug-at-the-heartstrings adventure.” —Booklist on A Dog’s Way Home
“Marley & Me combined with Tuesdays with Morrie.” —Kirkus Reviews on A Dog’s Purpose
“Funny, heartwarming, and touching.” —Library Journal, starred review, on A Dog’s Purpose
Discussion Questions
- Clancy sees that dogs express their needs and desires clearly, but humans often fail to express themselves. How does communication aff ect the novel’s storyline, especially between JayB and Alana? How is JayB’s romantic life diff erent from Clancy’s head-over-heels, instant devotion to Phoebe?
- Though Clancy tried to be nice to Kelsey (JayB’s cat), she never returned the favor, and they’ve been at war ever since. How does Clancy cope with his nemesis? How does his approach to Kelsey compare to that of humans who have to deal with diffi cult people?
- We meet many pet owners in Love, Clancy: Helen has Odin, Dominique has Phoebe, Rodney has Spartan, Cindy and Lindy have Tillie and Millie, and of course JayB has Clancy. In what way do these humans and their dogs refl ect each other’s personalities? Why do you suppose these similarities occur?
- The topic of money is woven throughout the book, with greed and emotional insecurity interfering with Walter’s ability to achieve financial peace of mind. At the same time, JayB is conflicted about returning to work, though he is determined not to become a dog walker, no matter how popular he is with his “clients.” For JayB and his dad, what does it take to finally discover the path to true fulfillment?
- Clancy understands the importance of forming a pack. How would you rate the pack of humans on the road trip to Las Vegas? Were their mishaps along the way due to human error or were they genuine misfortunes?
- Do Rodney and Maddy experience much personal growth throughout the novel? How does their outlook on life compare to the mindset of Clancy, whose greatest fear is to be called a bad dog?
- Why was Alana so attached to Guy? What motivated her to look past his hurtful actions?
- How did the reunion with JayB’s mother, Celeste, help you understand his relationships? How did you feel about Walter as he described the pain of jealousy and unrequited love while trying so hard to win back his former wife?
- What does Helen’s death, along with the aftermath of settling her estate, teach JayB and Alana about what really matters in life? How does Odin’s journey echo this wisdom?
- What was it like to read Clancy’s innermost thoughts in the form of a diary? What’s special about his voice and the way he expresses his hopes and frustrations? What do you think your pet’s diary would say?
- The joy of food is a key element in Love, Clancy. With her pocketful of bacon, what makes DesMoines the ideal person to keep everyone fed, both in terms of friendship and in terms of good cooking?
- Discuss the other books by W. Bruce Cameron that you have read. How does Clancy’s story enhance the author’s previous themes? What does Clancy ultimately discover about the best treats in life?