I stayed up to 1:30am to finish this book! That's a first in a long time (staying up that late!). I couldn't stop reading to find out what would happen to Ariel and "Duke." Elliott has a fine hand for nature descriptions, which I loved, giving a strong sense of place to the story and Ariel's character - a young person who appreciates the natural world, its beauty, and seasons, especially thunderstorms. Sargeant Josie is also a wonderful character and mentor to Ariel. She gives Ariel dog training tips, then lets her figure things out for herself. I thought Ariel's Mom was a bit over-the-top in her dislike of Ariel, her own daughter, but I guess some people are like that. At least Ariel's sister, Gloria, finally came around, and Ariel had the firm support of her older brother, George, and finally, her gentle, but somewhat oblivious Dad. Marcus, from the poorer section of the Appalachians, became Ariel's staunch friend and taught her not to make assumptions about people. I want to read more of L.M. Elliott's books. ( )