The primary theme of A Dog Called Homeless is the power of speaking through grief. At the beginning of the book, Cally visits the cemetery with her family. There, they make “a circle, [stand] still as statues, not talking about [Mom] because Dad says it’s too hard to talk about her” (5). Dad’s refusal to talk about her sets the precedent for the Fisher family to avoid their feelings of grief. These emotions then stay stored inside each of the family members and start to affect them in different ways.

Dad is the main one who can’t face his grief. Cally describes moments when she tries to connect with him: “I saw into his eyes before he looked away, as if all the words waiting there were too big to pronounce, too hard to say properly” (9). Avoidance is a common coping mechanism in the wake of losing a loved one. However, Dad’s behavior illustrates that avoiding those feelings for too long can be harmful. Dad grows forgetful and loses his love for music. In doing so, he also pushes away his family.

Communication is the key in any family, and when people avoid difficult conversations, families can start to unravel.