<B>Tom buried his face against the dog's wet fur. This was the beautiful Newfoundland dog he'd dreamed about, and now that he was really here, Tom didn't want to give him up....</B> <P> It's 1929 and thirteen-year-old Tom Campbell has always wanted a real family in a real house and a dog of his very own. Since he was three years old, the only home Tom has known is the Mission orphanage on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. Now he's being sent far away to live and work with fisherman Enoch Murray and his wife, Fiona, on Back o' the Moon Island. <P> So, Tom is amazed when, on his first time in the fishing boat and in the middle of a squall, he rescues a Newfoundland dog who seems to have come out of nowhere. Tom names the dog <I>Thunder.</I> With no one to claim him, the dog fast becomes Tom's loyal and constant companion. When an earthquake strikes the area, Thunder proves himself invaluable to the family and the island, saving lives and warning of imminent danger -- and it seems that Tom and Thunder might <I>both</I> have a place with the Murray family. <P> But then Fiona becomes pregnant with her first child, and it looks like Thunder's owner might be found. Tom's wonderful, new world is being turned upside down. Will the Murrays still want Tom? And will Tom be forced to give up his beloved Thunder? <P> From the author of the best-selling and award-winning <I>Star in the Storm</I> comes this thrilling adventure tale about family, loyalty, and the special bond between a lonely young boy and a remarkable dog -- a story that will leave readers cheering.