In a small town in Berry, sweltering in the summer heat of 1919, a war hero is held prisoner in the depths of a deserted barracks.
Before the door, his battered dog barks day and night.
Not far away, in the countryside, a young woman, worn down by working the land, yet too educated to be a simple peasant, waits and hopes.
The judge who arrives to unravel this affair is an aristocrat whose principles have been shaken by the war. Three characters and, among them, a dog, who holds the key to the drama... Full of poetry and life, this short story, of striking simplicity, is also a great novel about loyalty.
Being loyal to one's friends, fighting for those one loves, is a quality we share with animals. Isn't it the very essence of being human to transcend limitations and recognize the brother in the one who opposes you?

Jean-Christophe Rufin, a physician, traveler, and writer, is the author of now-classic novels such as *The Abyssinian*, *Red Brazil* (winner of the 2001 Prix Goncourt), and *The Big Heart*. In 2013, his *Immortal Journey to Compostela* was a resounding success.