*disclaimer: I did not read this exact edition of the book*
A sweet story about animal loyalty. Set in England, and the Highlands, this book is a great family read. I think that Knight did an amazing job of stating Lassie's thoughts and emotions without romantizing them as other author who wrote about animals did at the time. I teared up several times while reading this book, and will definitely be reading it again at some point!
Slights euphemisms (if I'm remembering correctly), dogs being hurt, some name calling.

4.5*

I wanted to read a border collie story, so I read this one to get myself ready to read another book about a border collie. I used to watch Lassie as a kid on Qubo, which is now an extinct television channel. I just wished it focused more on Lassie’s side of the story rather than from the Carracloughs’ point of view. It was also kind of sad when Lassie almost died.

Read aloud to 9 & 10 year old. They loved it and said there was no way it could get less than 5 stars.

Set during the depression era.

A fun, light read for an adult who knows the plot, and a story of wonder for a child or someone who is unfamiliar with this story.

Sweet story of a boy and his beloved dog that includes some wonderful character examples from the dog, the boy, his parents, and a few other supporting characters (vague to not include spoilers).

Writing is well done; no wonder it is such a beloved tail (aka tale). :)

Content considerations with SPOILERS: examples of animal cruelty (portrayed as such), the death of a dog from such, parental arguments, parental stress projecting emotionally and verbally on child (including minimizing and other unloving comments and body language), incorrect reasoning and conclusion of the reason of parental stress coming and going, occasional focus on physical looks/attractiveness, physical fight with clubs, several near death situations, starving and injured dog, egotism, and deception is depicted as moral. Some (not all) of the bad behaviors are resolved in the end, or is hinted at being wrong in ways that a child may not catch while others are clearly expressed as wrong behavior/attitudes.

Diminished by mediocre tv shows and kiddie movies, the Lassie story is largely identified with mid 20th century "folks and family" culture, stressing small town, feel-good, middle of the road American values. Yet the original story is not American at all, but was written by an immigrant Brit to celebrate the fierce hardscrabble values of his native Yorkshire. Lassie may be the greatest animal adventure ever written, but it is also a wrenching tale of class and poverty.

Lassie is the pride of her working class village, not just because of her beauty but because "the whole village knew that not even the Duke of Rudling had been able to buy Lassie from Sam Carraclough...For 3 years the Duke had been trying to buy Lassie, and Sam had merely stood his ground...The village knew all about that. And that's why Lassie meant so much to them. She represented some sort of pride that money had not been able to take away from them".

Yet when the local coal mine shuts down and Sam is thrown out of work, "there comes a time in a man's life when fate had beaten him so that he must bow his head and decide he must eat his pride so that his family may eat bread". Despite the heartbreak to his young son Joe, Sam sells Lassie to the Duke. But will the Duke, with all his money and power be able to keep Lassie and Joe apart? Don't bet on it.

Lassie is remembered for the heart-stopping action of the faithful collie's return journey, yet much of its power is in quiet scenes of love between people and their animals. Halfway on her journey, an injured Lassie is rescued by a lonely elderly couple; they try to adopt her but sense she is "on her way" home to Joe. If you can read without crying the scene where they bravely bid Lassie farewell, you are made of sterner stuff than I.

A moving and powerful love story, that never glosses over the soul killing effects of poverty. A great book to read aloud with your children.