Saving Shiloh is the third entry in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Shiloh quartet. The story continues to follow young Marty Preston in his West Virginia hometown as he grapples with complex feelings about his neighbor Judd Travers, a man with a troubling past involving violence, addiction, and mistreatment of dogs. As Marty observes signs of change in Judd, the narrative delves into themes of redemption, trust, and moral judgment, challenging both the characters and the readers to consider whether it is possible for people to overcome their pasts and change for the better. 

This guide refers to the Atheneum Books for Young Readers 2013 reprint edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of animal cruelty and death, addiction, physical abuse, and death.

Plot Summary

Young protagonist Marty Preston briefly recalls taking his dog, named Shiloh after the town in which they live, from a local man, Judd Travers, who was addicted to alcohol and abused Shiloh. The story begins about a month after the events of the second Shiloh novel, Shiloh Season, in which Shiloh saves Judd’s life by alerting Marty’s family that Judd crashed his truck while driving under the influence of alcohol. Marty’s father states that people in town are still talking negatively about Judd even though he is trying to turn his life around. Ma reveals that they have invited him for Thanksgiving dinner, and Marty loses his appetite.

On Thanksgiving, Marty’s father reminds him to treat Judd with respect and not get angry if Judd mentions Shiloh, imploring Marty to act neighborly. Shiloh is clearly fearful of Judd when he arrives. Ma gets dinner ready, and Judd gives Ma a squirrel he shot in his yard. They all sit down to an uncomfortable meal.

Marty’s best friend, David Howard, reveals a secret that he learned from his father, a newspaper reporter: A man from the nearby town of Bens Run has been missing since just before Judd’s accident. David asserts that Judd killed the man and crashed his truck on purpose to destroy any evidence. David insists that they go to the scene of the accident to search for clues. On Saturday morning, Marty works at Dr. Collins’s veterinary clinic, and he asks Dr. Collins how he can help Judd’s dogs after they return home to Judd. Collins suggests putting up a fence in Judd’s yard so that the dogs can run around unchained.

Shiloh runs off and later returns with a piece of orange fabric in his mouth, which Marty pockets. Marty reads a newspaper story about an escape from the county jail. David and Marty explore the site of Judd’s crash. Everything is covered in snow, but they discover a frozen boot, which David assumes must belong to the man from Bens Run, implying that Judd killed him. Marty encourages David not to jump to conclusions. On Sunday, Marty brings the boot to Judd, who claims that it is his and that he lost it after the accident.

On the way home, Marty looks in the bed of Judd’s truck for any additional clues and finds an iron pipe. A few days later, the police discover the body of the man from Bens Run. He died from a blow to the head, and the murder weapon is missing. The sheriff questions Judd, and everyone thinks that Judd must have done it. Marty struggles with what to think and worries that if Judd is angry at everyone, he will take it out on the dogs.

Marty formulates a plan to get Judd a fence so that his dogs can run around unchained. The local doctor, Doc Murphy, is having his fence taken down, and Marty offers to take it. Judd declines Marty’s offer to build the fence for him, accusing Marty of wanting to take Judd’s other dogs. Marty berates himself for thinking that Judd could ever change for the better. That evening, Judd calls, agreeing to take the fence after all. The next morning, Marty and his father help Judd put up the fence. Marty returns a few days later to sit with Judd, watching the dogs run. Still, he cannot help but wonder if Judd is the killer.

That night, Marty sees a small beam of light moving toward Middle Island Creek. It looks like someone holding a flashlight, and after watching for a few seconds, the light goes out. After a series of robberies in town, people begin pointing at Judd immediately, especially because he got his cast off on the same day that the robberies began. Marty silently wonders if his peers may be right, but he feels sympathy for Judd because he understands Judd’s past with an abusive father.

Grandma Preston dies of pneumonia, and Marty is worried about leaving Shiloh alone overnight for the first time. The family gets home late that night, and Shiloh is jumpy. Marty’s father discovers that his lantern, knife, and shears are all missing. The family falls into an uncomfortable silence as Dad mentions that the only other person who saw them leave was Judd.

A blizzard arrives in Shiloh, and the town is snowbound. After a few days, Marty and his family look out the window to see Judd plowing their driveway with his truck. Dad goes out to thank Judd, and Ma invites him inside, but Judd declines, stating that he has more neighbors to help. Marty watches Judd retreat, wishing that more people would see how much he has changed.

On Friday night, Marty sees the light near Middle Island Creek again. The next day, David and Marty investigate, finding the community’s stolen items in the old Shiloh schoolhouse. The sheriff comes to investigate and finds a pair of orange pants that belong to the county jail and match the fabric that Marty pulled out of Shiloh’s mouth. The Tyler Star-News runs a story about the event the next day, announcing that the men who escaped from the county jail recently are the prime suspects in the murder of the man from Bens Run, who owed them a gambling debt.

Marty observes that Judd’s interactions with his dogs have slightly improved: He does not see Judd kick or swear at the dogs. Marty tells Judd that his dogs seem happier with the fence, and Judd agrees. Marty offers to help Judd build a gate. While building the fence the next day, Judd accidentally steps on one of his dog’s paws. The dog attacks Judd, and he kills it. Marty calls Doc Murphy to come stitch up Judd’s leg. Judd tells Marty that he never meant to step on the dog’s paw. After the accident, Judd will no longer look at Marty when he passes him on the road.

A heavy rain turns Middle Island Creek into a raging river. At the vet’s office one Saturday, Marty helps care for a litter of kittens and asks Doc Collins if he can give one to his younger sister Dara Lynn. At dinner, Dara Lynn antagonizes David and Marty, and Marty regrets reserving a kitten for her. When Ma gets an increasingly painful toothache, she goes to lie down while the children play Monopoly in the living room, but Shiloh gets too excited and knocks over the board. Dara Lynn hits him, and Marty screams at her. Ma tells Marty that she was able to get an emergency appointment with the dentist and that neighbors have agreed to come watch them. The phone rings again, and a classmate tells Marty and David that he has just seen a dead body floating down the creek, rapidly approaching Marty’s house.

Marty and David rush outside to see the body, but it is only a leftover Halloween scarecrow. As they turn back, Dara Lynn and Becky arrive. Dara Lynn climbs to the top of the bridge, falling in. The neighbors arrive, and Marty yells to Mr. Ellison that Dara Lynn has fallen into the creek. Marty sees that Dara Lynn has been snagged on some branches under the bridge. Dara Lynn makes her way to safety. Then, Marty sees Shiloh out in the water, having jumped in to save Dara Lynn and now being carried away by the strength of the current.

Judd comes up the road, and Marty tells him that Shiloh fell into the creek. Judd gets out of his truck, ties a rope around his waist and a tree, and then wades into the water to save Shiloh. At first, Shiloh swims away from Judd, but when Judd uses the distinctive whistle that he used to use to call his dog, Shiloh swims toward him, and Judd saves him. When Judd hands Shiloh over to Marty, Marty hugs Shiloh close to his chest and uses his other arm to hug Judd. The community praises Judd’s heroism, and Judd considers joining the rescue squad in a nearby town. At home, Marty’s parents berate their children for disobeying them and putting everyone in danger. The next night, Marty tells Dara Lynn that he is going to get her a kitten. She runs over to Marty, hugging him tightly. One afternoon while Judd is at work, Marty finishes the fence gate. As he finishes, he thinks that someday in the future, Shiloh might join him in visiting Judd.