My Favorite Book, Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight

I decided to share my love for Eric Knight’s Lassie Come-Home today because it is his birthday. He was born on April 10, 1897, which was 123 years ago. His amazing legacy with Lassie Come-Home still continues today.

This is where it all started—my love for books and collies. When I was a little girl growing up in LaGrange, Illinois, everything stopped at our house on Sunday nights at 6:00 pm. That was when the Lassie show came on the television. I don’t think I ever missed an episode. I loved that show, and especially, Lassie. I remember as I got older, I would go to the library at Congress Park School in Brookfield, Illinois and check out Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight. I know I checked it out several times a year and would read and re-read the book. My mom had given me an anthology with a shortened form of the book, and it contained some of the original artwork by Marguerite Kirmse, that I also read over and over. The book pictured below is my personal copy. It is a 1st edition, 12th printing of Lassie Come-Home that I purchased on E-bay for $25.00. In one of the photos I am sharing, you will see the original price of the book. I wanted this edition because this was the cover that I would gaze at as a young girl.

1st Edition, 12th Printing, 1943

I would also look at the inside cover of the book at the map of Lassie’s journey back to the boy who loved her so much, Joe Carraclough.

Map in the inside cover

Below is a favorite picture from the book.

Breaking Free

Here is the inside cover.

Original price—$2.00

The saddest thing I found out when I was a little girl is that Eric Knight was killed in WWII. To me, this meant that no more Lassie books would ever be written by him. This next photo “In Appreciation” is found on the back of my copy. If you read it, many of the things Eric Knight stood for are still current today.

“In Appreciation”

One thing I learned today is that Eric Knight was able to visit the MGM set of the movie Lassie Come-Home when he was on leave during WWII. The picture on the top is Mr. Knight in uniform with Pal, the collie who played Lassie in the movie. Eric Knight never saw the finished movie.

Eric Knight with Pal, who played Lassie in the film.

In my research, I found that Eric Knight’s granddaughter has an extensive website about him. Her name is Betsy Cowan. I have linked it under his name. Eric Knight Be sure to click on all of the links on the page. Ms. Cowan has done extensive research on the plane crash that killed her grandfather. It also has photos of Mr. Knight with his collie that inspired him to write Lassie Come-Home. It also shows him pictured with Eleanor Roosevelt. In addition, a new biography has been written about his life. It is titled Knight by Greg Christie. I bought the Kindle version today for $9.99.

Lassie Come-Home is still available in all formats: Kindle for 99 cents, hardback, paperback, and mass market paperback. The movie version is available on Amazon Prime. What a better time to introduce your children to this wonderful book of love, family, and devotion. The movie is a classic with Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor in their youth playing starring roles.

Eric Knight also wrote a WWII romance novel titled This Above All. It was adapted into a movie by the same name that stared Tyrone Power and Joan Fontaine. It was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It won the academy award for Best Art Direction, Black & White. It also had three other nominations. The book is available on Amazon and the movie is available on Amazon Prime.

The best thing that Eric Knight did for me was begin my love of reading. Anyone who inspired me to read a book over and over and fall in love with collie dogs has left a legacy with me in my heart. Here are my three dogs, one Sheltie and two collies that I never would have had if I did not read Lassie Come-Home as a little girl.