THE MOURNING
DOVE: A Story of Love By: Larry
Barkdull 5 Stars
This is a
short story that can be read in an hour or two. Even though the book ends on
Christmas Day, I have come to think of it more as an Easter story. It has
become my annual tradition to read it in preparation for the holiday. It is an
incredible reminder of Christ’s love and sacrifice on behalf of every single
one of us.
The Mourning Dove opens three days after the death of
9-year-old Hannibal’s parents from a car accident. Hannibal moves in with his
grandfather, “Pop”, who has been a widower for three years. The story covers
about a year worth of adventures where Pop ultimately teaches Hannibal over and
over the importance of love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and the importance of
remembering.
There is one
point in the story where Pop saves baby kittens from their certain death.
Within a short amount of time the mother cat brings Pop the biggest and fattest
mouse she could find. While Hannibal and a friend voice their disgust at the
mouse being left at the feet of Pop, he quickly points out that the mother had
made the biggest sacrifice she could in her appreciation for the safety of her
kittens. Pop mentions that some debts can never be repaid, but “always
remembering is payment enough” (Barkdull, 1997).
While this
lesson is a great one, it doesn’t do the book justice compared to the rest of
the material found in the few short pages. There is power in these stories.
They are ones that should be remembered, especially this Easter day.
Barkdull, L. (1997). The mourning dove: A story of love. New
York, NY: Golden Books.
