Lob's Girl and Foreshadowing

Lob's Girl is a fictional short story about a German Shepard and a girl named Sandy. This narrative is set in England and opens with the Pengelly family spending time at the beach during the summer. "Some people choose their dogs, and some dogs choose their people," writes author Joan Aiken in the opening line of this story. While each member of the family is enjoying Summer's warm embrace, Lob, an Alsatian or German Shepard does exactly that, chooses his person. The problem is Lob has already been chosen by an owner who lives over four hundred miles away.

This conflict plays out as Lob makes the four hundred mile trek from his owner's home to the Pengelly's. After two escapes, Lob's owner realizes the truth in Aiken's opening line and proposes the Pengellys keep Lob. Bert, the patriarch of the family agrees and all seems well.

Nine years pass, Sandy is a teenager, Lob an older version of the handsome dog that pounced into the story's exposition, and the bond between pet and owner tightens. On a stormy eve, the dutiful Sandy sets out to give her lonely aunt company. This is where the story takes a mysterious turn.

While reading this story our class learned about foreshadowing. This is a literary device where the author gives the reader a clue about the events that will take place later in the story. These clues can be obvious or difficult to identify. I was not able to identify Joan Aiken's use of this device until rereading the story. I enjoyed this mysterious tale and appreciate Joan Aiken's use of foreshadowing making this a unforgettable story.