In fact, Dobie, Webb and Bedichek, the triumphant trio of Texas literature, went there also. Everyone was invited and everything was discussed from hunting to farming, from Homer to J. Gipson would drive from Mason County to Austin and hold ‘bull sessions’ with plenty of refreshments in the afternoon and late into the night. near 45th Street for his son to live in while he attended UT.

I had a friend and mentor who had gone to Mr. He knew, if nothing else, what the pioneering life meant to the souls of men and the reasoning of women. The words are charged with high emotions to make this truly great literature.įred Gipson was a true Texan, a great American, an honest human being and a great story-teller….not necessarily in that order. Just as Old Yeller inevitably makes his way into the Coates family’s hearts, this book will find its own special place in readers’ hearts.Here is the ending of the greatest dog story that just happens to be set north of Fredericksburg, Texas in the year before the Civil War.

Originally published in 1956 to instant acclaim, Old Yeller later inspired a hit film from Walt Disney. It stands alongside works like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Where The Red Fern Grows, and Shiloh as a beloved and enduring classic of literature. And Travis ultimately finds help and comfort in the courage and unwavering love of the dog who comes to be his very best friend.įred Gipson’s novel is an eloquently simple story that is both exciting and deeply moving. But the big canine who Travis calls “Old Yeller” proves his worth by defending the family from danger. Living in Texas Hill Country during the 1860s, Travis comes to face new, unanticipated, and often perilous responsibilities in the frontier wilderness.Ī particular nuisance is a stray yellow dog that shows up one day and steals food from the family. When his father sets out on a cattle drive toward Kansas for the summer, fourteen-year-old Travis Coates is left to take care of his family and their farm. A timeless American classic and one of the most beloved children’s books ever written, Old Yeller is a Newbery Honor Book that explores the poignant and unforgettable bond between a boy and the stray dog who becomes his loyal friend.

Fred gipson old yeller