I read The Rent Tent by Anita Diamant about six years ago, and while I don’t remember very much about it, I do remember LOVING it. When someone at bookclub lent me The Last Days of Dogtown, I was anxious to read more of Dianant and see if she is a “one hit wonder”. Good news – it turns out she’s not!

Both novels were loosely based on historical research – but that’s about the extent of their similarities. I remember The Red Tent as an in-depth and colorful story that centers around the characters. The Last Days of Dogtown is a dreary, yet hopeful story. It’s a tribute to a dying town and attests to neighborly compassion and responsibility. The focal point of the story is on the town and only allows a glimpse into its handful of residents. I think this was intentional on Diamont’s part to center the reader’s attention on Dogtown and less on individual characters. It was an interesting approach. The characters that she did present were endearing and I found myself sympathizing with them – especially the women. Their lives were hard and unfair and it made me grateful to not live in Dogtown in 1814.

Overall, a good read – I’m looking forward to more Anita Diamant in the future!

Book Stats

Title: The Last Days of Dogtown

Author: Anita Diamant

Notable: Author of The Red Tent

Pages: 261

Reading Level: Easy and Quick – I read it last weekend while at Lake Las Vegas

Do I feel like I need to re-read it? No, but I do want to re-read The Rent Tent now

Would I recommend it? Yes

My overall rating: A