Used book – The Red Collar, Jean-Christophe Rufin

In a small town in Berry, stifling under the summer heat in 1919, a war hero is held prisoner in the depths of a deserted barracks. At the door, his battered dog barks day and night. Not far away, in the countryside, a young woman worn out by working the land, yet too educated to be a simple peasant, waits and hopes. The judge arriving to unravel this case is an aristocrat whose principles were shaken by the war. Three characters and, in their midst, a dog, who holds the key to the drama... Full of poetry and life, this short, strikingly simple story is also a great novel about loyalty. Being loyal to one's friends, fighting for those we love, is a quality we share with animals. Isn't it human nature to go beyond that and also be able to recognize a brother in your adversary?