The Dog Who Spoke with Gods A Novel [Paperback]

When Elizabeth, a young pre-med. student happens upon Damien, a dog being used in laboratory research on her campus, she has no way of knowing how drastically her life- and her beliefs- will be changed. Without meaning to, she slowly becomes drawn into the dog's fate and is soon torn between the love and respect she has come to feel for Damien and the sense of loyalty and obligation she feels for the medical profession as well as her father and grandfather, both cardiac surgeons.

With an uncanny ability to write convincingly about life from the point of view of a canine, Diane Jessup tells an extraordinary story of friendship and loyalty. Few writers have ever shown the world of man's closest friend as clearly and movingly. For anyone who has ever loved a dog this is a must read.

1. Two male characters in the story are mirror characters , meaning they have similar desires, motivations and life situations. Who are these two and how are their lives similar?
2. How are the elements of Nature used throughout the story?
3. Viktor Hoffman's role is one of everyman ; why is his attitude toward the dog typical of many people?
4. Barbara is a Pagan, Tom a Christian, and Damien is deeply devoted to his gods . The only character unsure of her religious beliefs is Elizabeth. Why is this?
5. How did this story affect the way you look at the animals in your life?
6. When Elizabeth is dying she refuses Seville's aid, saying the cost of such help is too high. What is she referring to and what does she mean?
7. Dr. Joseph Seville is not an evil man, yet he is unable to empathize with Damien. Why is this? Does this attitude change at all through the course of the story?
8. The ultimate price Elizabeth pays for her freedom from a life of pre-destiny is death. How does this relate to the valuelã-