Sirius: A Novel About the Little Dog Who Almost Changed History

Some dogs are so perceptive, so clever, and so charming that you’d swear they can understand your every word. Levi is one such dog, and he enjoys his life in Berlin with the Liliencrons, a proud Jewish family who rename him Sirius as a good luck charm. But when a Nazi mob storms through their neighborhood, Sirius and the Liliencrons flee to America, falling under the spell of Hollywood and stardom. But the strange journey of Sirius will take him to other unexpected places, and maybe, just maybe, into the annals of history.

Sirius is a strange read, a hopeful message of family and belonging but one festooned with the dour trappings of Nazism, Hollywood’s dark side, and the worst of humanity. Yet through it all, even in the fascist-fueled Part 1, the novel never seems to succumb to such sinister influences; it remains the upbeat story of a dog who endures the most ludicrous circumstances, a Forrest Gump-level mishmash of history and fiction. It’s really, decidedly weird and absolutely unashamed of it.

Sentimental without being maudlin or schmoopy, Sirius is a peculiar romp for the ages.