One word sums up the title: bildungsroman. Protagonists mature from youth to adulthood, age wisely and morally. Their growth extends from thirteen to twenty-five years of age: youth, teens, young teachers, adult librarians. The young and old get attached to their dogs. Each character faces conflict and has to resolve it. Even a teacher learns the psychology of dogs in the story "Quicksand." Time extends from 1947 to 1965, set in East Kentucky, the state as a whole, and southern Appalachia.