A Dog of Flanders

Ouida

Jul 2017 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

A classic children’s tale of loyalty, perseverance, and the bond of friendship between a boy and his dog.
 
Ever since he lost his parents as a baby, Nello has been raised by his caring grandfather in a small village near Antwerp in Flanders. One day they find a dog, injured and alone. Naming the pitiable creature Patrasche, Nello and his grandfather nurse him back to health—and forever after, the child and pup are inseparable.
 
A Dog of Flanders follows both boy and dog as Nello strives to better his lot in life, from trying to fulfill his heart’s desire and become a great artist to his heart breaking as his true love is forbidden from being seen with someone poor like him. Through life’s hardships—from fire and famine to the unkindness of others—Nello and Patrasche carry on together with the greatest power of all: hope.
 
As touching as it is timeless, A Dog of Flanders remains one of the finest children’s stories in classic literature.

About the author

Ouida (1839-1908) was the pseudonym for the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé, known for writing novels that romanticized a fashionable lifestyle. She got this name from the pronunciation of her childhood nickname “Louisa.” In her early twenties she moved to London and began voraciously writing, publishing numerous novels, which gained her wealth and fame. She threw elaborate parties at the Langham Hotel, inviting literary figures that inspired the characters in her books. At the height of her fame, Ouida moved to Italy and lived an extravagant lifestyle. In her later life, this extravagance, along with the lack of sales in her books, left her penniless. She died in poverty in Italy at the age of 69.