Molly: A Love Story

By: Dana Brackob
Illustrated by: Evgeniya Kozhevnikova
Publisher: Histria Books
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-59211-100-8
Reviewed by: Katie Specht
Review Date: April 22, 2021

In the first few pages of Molly: A Love Story, we are introduced to Molly, a friendly and loving pit bull without a home. She has been living dangerously on the streets, but she soon finds herself rescued from this life and taken to a shelter. Once there, she begins a new phase of her life: waiting and hoping to be chosen by a family.

A family visits the shelter in search of a dog to fill their empty home, and instantly falls in love with Molly. Molly is welcomed into her new home with open arms and she brings abundant joy to her family’s lives. One day, Molly meets Logan, a Siberian Husky. They become the best of friends and Molly’s family adopts him as well. Molly and Logan spend their days snuggling in their favorite chair and chasing golf carts at the dog park.

Molly’s life drastically changes when she is diagnosed with cancer. With her family and Logan by her side, she undergoes surgery and chemotherapy treatments, ultimately beating the cancer. Sadly, shortly after the cancer treatments, Molly passes away quietly in her sleep. Her family and Logan miss her dearly but will forever cherish fond memories of Molly.

Molly: A Love Story is a touching narrative of a real-life family and their beloved dog. Author and Molly’s owner Dana Brackob shares her poignant story with children to help raise awareness for Molly’s breed, the pit bull, which is often erroneously regarded as vicious. Many young readers will be able to relate to their dog, regardless of the breed, being one of their best friends. Just like in the story, children will be able to remember the exciting adventures they experienced with their dog as their favorite companion.

In addition to eradicating public misconceptions about the pit bull breed, Molly: A Love Story also highlights an important topic for children: losing a pet. Many children will experience the loss of a pet in their childhood. Having access to healthy examples of how to cope with this loss is crucial for these children. While the child’s parents modeling these examples is ideal, books can also provide great demonstrations of this behavior for kids to see.

It is also worthy to note that the author shows her love of rescue pets by donating a portion of the sale of each copy of Molly: A Love Story to her local animal shelters. By supporting this book, the reader is also giving back to a rewarding cause.

Quill says: Molly: A Love Story is a heartwarming story of an abandoned dog finding love with her forever home and the joy that they bring to each other’s lives. This book also teaches young readers that the love of a lost pet will forever live on in their hearts through all their shared memories, while simultaneously supporting the worthy charity of animal shelters.