Sirius

A Novel About the Little Dog Who Almost Changed History

By: Jonathan Crown

Narrated by: Mark Meadows

An international bestseller—“an elegant, charming, and heartwarming fable...one part Zelig, one part Siddhartha, and one part Rin Tin Tin” (Vogue)—about an extraordinary fox terrier who helps his Jewish family escape from Nazi Germany, becomes a Hollywood star, and ultimately contributes to Hitler’s downfall.

Levi, a fox terrier, lives with his family in a grand townhouse in Berlin. Each day he enjoys a walk through the neighborhood, where people greet him by name. But the year is 1938, and Berlin is no longer safe for Levi or the Liliencrons, his Jewish owners. They rename him Sirius, after the constellation, to protect him.

One night, Nazi troops storm the city and begin to search houses. Sirius alerts the family, and they manage to flee to California. In his new home, Carl Liliencron becomes a chauffeur and Sirius befriends everyone from Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant to Rita Hayworth and Jack Warner. He is renamed Hercules and becomes a canine movie star. Little does Sirius know that he’ll soon have to perform his most difficult acting role yet, when through a series of exceptional events as World War II unfolds, he winds up at the right hand of Hitler himself. Can Sirius help the German resistance, derail the Führer, and reunite with his family? Or is the cost of peace too high?

“Heartwarming...charming...for history buffs and dog lovers alike” (Publishers Weekly), Sirius is an enchanting fairy tale about love and humanity and a roving exploration of a momentous historical moment. Like My Dog Skip and The Artist, this “triumphant novel” (The Missourian) will make you stand up and cheer.

Very interesting and entertaining

Would you consider the audio edition of Sirius to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Of course the dog Sirius. I like books narrated by the main character, in this case the dog.

Have you listened to any of Mark Meadows’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't. He was terrific. Really did accents well.

If you could take any character from Sirius out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Maybe, Peter Lorie.

Any additional comments?

I started out not really being sure if I was going to like the book, but it grew on me, and then I couldn't put it down. Great story told in a non traditional way. Highly recommend!