First published 2021
Martha Teichner encounters an old friend during her morning dog walks in New York City. The friend knows someone with an urgent problem. Carol is dying from cancer caused by toxin exposure after 9/11. She owns Harry, a Bull Terrier who needs a new home. Martha already has Minnie, also a Bull Terrier. She agrees to meet Carol and consider taking Harry. What starts as a simple dog adoption becomes something larger. Martha and Carol form a deep friendship built around their shared love of Bull Terriers and their complicated lives. Carol's illness brings heartbreak, but the connection between the two women transforms both of their experiences. The dogs bring Harry and Minnie together while their owners navigate grief and loss. Martha discovers how chance meetings can reshape entire lives. The story unfolds against the backdrop of New York City, where early morning dog walkers form their own community. Through caring for Harry and supporting Carol, Martha learns about the unexpected ways love enters our lives.
Genres: family, animals, friendship, contemporary, dogs, biography-memoir, 21st-century, adoption
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: chance-meetings, found-family, grief, loss
Setting: New York City
Period: September 11
256 pages · Hardcover · Celadon Books
Content warnings: terminal-illness