The Incredible Journey

In April, we celebrate Pets Are Wonderful Month. For all pet owners the concept is self-explanatory. My furred wonder Lance takes a morning snooze near my desk as I write and generally participate in every activity of my life.

Fifty years ago, in 1961, a book appeared that celebrates the bond between humans and their pets—Sheila Burnford’s The Incredible Journey. In this story, ideal for seven- to twelve-year-olds, three pets—an old bull terrier, a Siamese cat, and a young Labrador retriever—attempt a treacherous 250 mile journey through the Canadian wilderness. Having been left with a friend of their owners, the three head back home to their own family. They battle the elements, face starvation and illness, and fight wild animals. The third-person, omniscient voice of the novel allows readers to watch the actions of the animals but avoids anthropomorphizing them. With characters based on Burnford’s own three pets, the narrative contains lots of action and adventure but still leaves readers smiling at the end.

Emilie McLeod of the Atlantic Monthly Press instantly loved this novel written by an unknown Canadian writer. But in the 1960s, the Atlantic and Little Brown shared publishing operations, and McLeod needed to have the approval of Little Brown’s children’s book publisher Helen Jones. Jones was a no-nonsense straight shooter, who said what she thought and took no prisoners. I vividly remember the day she called for an author’s address (which I knew off the top of my head) and her crisp words, “You are very efficient Miss Silvey,” before she hung up the phone.

But I digress. Emilie and Helen became embroiled in a heated controversy over whether the house should publish this book—and both refused to back down. Eventually the higher levels of management in both companies intervened. The publisher of the Atlantic’s adult list claimed the book—his counterpart at Little Brown agreed to the acquisition. Hence one of the great children’s books of the 1960s appeared as an adult book, even though no one thought it was written for them. Such are the vagaries of publishing, then and now. After all, it is a business conducted by very “human” beings. Things might be better if our pets ran publishing houses. Certainly everyone would get more treats!

I’m not going to dwell on that idea today; I’m simply going to spend some quality time with my own sweethearts and savor, once again, the fabulous storytelling in The Incredible Journey.

Here’s a passage from The Incredible Journey: