Good Dog Bella has already lived through some rough times, beginning with Denver’s pit bull ban (never mind that she isn’t a pit bull) and a spiteful animal control officer. Now, though, she’s content and back with her humans, Lucas and Olivia, which is just how it should be.

One weekend, they decide to slip away and do a little tent camping in the Rocky Mountains. Bella loves sleeping in the soft-sided room with her human companions. But one morning, she awakens to the alarming smell of smoke. Her people don’t like it either. Quickly, they pack up and flee for home. A few miles downhill, though, the road is blocked by flames. They turn around and speed up the mountain but are met by more flames. They’re surrounded. Their options have just gone from bad to awful.

"I loved every bit of [A DOG'S COURAGE], yet found myself almost trembling as I turned each page. Surprisingly, the book doesn’t actually smell smoky, but the emotions conjured by the words are so real that it seems to have come through a bona fide inferno."

Somehow, Lucas lands them in a lake and they’re safe for a while, although not for long. By the time the three of them hike out to find other people, panic has set in all around. And with good reason. There is news that the Rockies are burning out of control in three states. It has become the largest wildfire in US history.

Paraiso, the tiny town that Lucas and Olivia have straggled into with Bella, is under evacuation orders. However, the animal shelter is full, and the trucks hauling people out won’t take them. For that reason alone, Olivia refuses to leave. She and Lucas won’t let those pets die there, not without at least trying to keep them from a horrific death. Others resist abandoning their homes. The determined people who stayed behind begin heroic efforts to save what can be saved.

Bella doesn’t understand this new activity, but she does sense urgency and fear, so she tries to do her best Good Dog act. She knows that being a Good Dog will sometimes get her food rewards; most importantly, though, it makes Lucas happy, which is a major priority. Despite every effort she makes to do the right thing, wildfires are unpredictable forces of nature, and these disasters set in motion the biggest challenge of her life so far.

On this outing, as she often does when away from home, Bella sniffs the air for signs of her old friend Big Kitten, whose acquaintance she made in A DOG’S WAY HOME. With so many animals wandering into human territory reeking of fear, Bella anxiously hopes that Big Kitten has survived. Then, to her utter amazement, she catches a scent of her friend out there. Feeling both joy and curiosity, she wonders if it really can be Big Kitten or if the smoke is messing with her sense of smell. She has to find out.

Bella’s long-ago loyalty to the mountain lion lures her away from Lucas just long enough that she becomes separated from her humans. Thus begins a journey once again to reunite with them, but only after she knows that Big Kitten will be okay. Over the ensuing days, she faces unspeakable perils --- perils that most dogs wouldn’t know how to address. Nor would they choose to. Bella is a remarkable dog, though. Besides her incredible courage, she understands love, loyalty and sacrifice. Ultimately, they are the traits that carry her through.

Living in an area susceptible to wildfire, I understand the fear brought on by the smell or sight of smoke, so this story touched me in myriad ways. I loved every bit of it, yet found myself almost trembling as I turned each page. Surprisingly, the book doesn’t actually smell smoky, but the emotions conjured by the words are so real that it seems to have come through a bona fide inferno. Bella must continue to live on; this beautiful soul epitomizes honesty, caring and selflessness, qualities that this world needs more of right now.

Whether you’re a dog person or not, there’s definitely something for you to appreciate in A DOG’S COURAGE.