Naylor decided to write Shiloh after an emotionally taxing experience in West Virginia where she encountered an abused dog.
After finding an abused beagle owned by his brutal neighbor Judd Travers, Marty defies his society's standards of not meddling with each other's business.
Marty resolves to steal and hide the dog, naming him Shiloh and fabricating a web of lies to keep his secret.
Because he lacks the money to buy Shiloh, Marty resolutely works for Judd doing numerous chores.
[1] In Shiloh Season, Naylor renews the strife by restoring Judd's hostility and aggravating it with a bout of drinking issues.