"Sounder" by William H. Armstrong

This was not a favorite of mine, but I did read all of it.  Another book I found depressing, especially for kids.  It's a story of a black family, I don't know the era, but before electricity and running water.  At least for them, maybe some of the houses on the farm they worked for had that but it was a long time ago.  They have a coon hound named Sounder.  The dog hunts for racoons and other small game with the dad.  The Mom shells walnuts for pennies every night.  One day there is sausage for breakfast and ham for dinner.  A few days later the sheriff shows up and arrests the Dad for stealing the food.  They shoot the dog, he disappears, the boy finds his torn off ear and puts it under his pillow.  They don't see the dog for months. He shows up with half his face, a leg and an eye missing.  He hobbles around and seems happy.  The boys walks to the jail to see his Dad at Christmas and has a horrible experience.  The Dad gets put on working detail and they don't know where he is for years.  The boy keeps looking for him and can't find him.  The Dad shows up one day with the left side of his body crippled. There was an accident in the mine where he worked.  The boy found a teacher that will let him live with him and go to school.  The Dad dies and the dog dies.  I like a happy ending, I know life isn't always like that but I usually read for good uplifting entertainment and this just didn't do it for me.  I appreciate the fact that kids can learn something form this book.  They can learn that life was not always like they have it.  You had to actually work hard to get your food every day.  People were not with respect and decency.  There was not a grocery store.  People would be freezing and hungry every day.  There was nothing else to do but work to live.  No T.V., internet, sports, games, electronics, etc..  If you wanted to eat and stay warm you hunted, chopped wood and cooked.  You made soap to stay clean, you hauled water to drink.  So, for that I do appreciate this book.