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Dog Days

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Dog Days

By: Ericka Waller
Narrated by: Emma Cunniffe
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

George is very angry. His wife has upped and died on him, and all he wants to do is sit in his underpants and shout at the cricket. The last thing he needs is his cake-baking neighbour Betty trying to rescue him. And then there's the dog, a dachshund puppy called Poppy. George doesn't want a dog - he wants a fight.

Dan is a counsellor with OCD who is great at helping other people - if only he were better at helping himself. His most meaningful relationship so far is with his labrador Fitz. But then comes a therapy session that will change his life.

Lizzie is living in a women's refuge with her son Lenny. Her body is covered in scars and she has shut herself off from everyone around her. But when she is forced to walk the refuge's fat terrier, Maud, a new life beckons - if she can keep her secret just a while longer...

Dog Days is a novel about those small but life-changing moments that only come when we pause to let the light in. It is about three people learning to make connections and find joy in living life off the leash.

'A soulful, lyrical tale... Such a treat.' BETH MORREY, author of SAVING MISSY'

'A charming, surprising and moving story of three troubled characters' encounter with love, grief, healing...and dogs' CLARE CHAMBERS, author of SMALL PLEASURES

'Dog Days is a beautiful novel, filled with poignancy and humour. Ericka Waller looks closely at life with all its ghosts and new beginnings, finding glitter in the dark and hope where there is healing.' RÓNÁN HESSION, author of Leonard and Hungry Paul

'It takes great heart and a steady hand on the tiller to bring a set of characters-human and canine--to life on the page and Ericka Waller has both. With an equally deft hand at a compelling story line, Waller draws the reader into this tender, complicated novel of love, loss and self-discovery.' Susan Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of One Good Dog and What a Dog Knows

"Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant, Ericka Waller's wonderful debut is both laugh out loud funny and immensely moving." - AJ Pearce, author of Dr Mrs Bird

© Erica Waller 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Women's Fiction Comedy

Critic reviews

'Funny, sad, gritty and beautifully told, this story will make you look at life again and appreciate the small acts of kindness that make everything worthwhile.

A charming, surprising and moving story of three troubled characters' encounter with love, grief, healing.

'Moving, uplifting, full of charm and warmth, [Dog Days] gave me much paws for thought. Such great characterisation, too - by the end, George, Dan et al felt like family!
A Russian doll of a book that twists and tugs each outer husk, revealing delicate and poignant inner layers.
Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant, Ericka Waller's wonderful debut is both laugh out loud funny and immensely moving. Definitely one of my favourite novels of 2021, Dog Days is an absolute delight.
The kind of charm readers will recall from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine... a welcome balm for anxious lockdown minds... the book is gentle but poignant, moving but uplifting, suffused with different kinds of love and loss.
[A] Touching and thoughtful debut novel
Hilarious and moving, it recognises the unconditional love of dogs and their ability to make the world a better place
If you enjoyed Beth Morrey's Saving Missy, you'll love this...both hilarious and moving.
Easy to read and witty but full of pathos and sadness, this tightly plotted tale will bring you joy.
All stars
Most relevant
Omg how bitter sweet this book is couldn’t put down for two days didn’t want it to end

Super story

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3.5 stars
This book is so hard to rate. Parts I enjoyed other parts where totally depressing.
It is definitely not a cute dog story, the dogs only really feature in the background.
I actually liked grumpy George, he was funny and I enjoyed the way his story evolved. But the other characters’ stories where rather dismal...ok they got sorted in the end ( rather hurriedly)
I wish Ericka Walker had just featured the whole book on George ...it could have really been a great book instead of a rather depressing one.
Narration- the actual voice was pleasant to listen to, but too many places should have been re-recorded , when she got the sentence wrong , as if the comma was put in the wrong place , giving the sentence a different ( and sometimes wired meaning)

Absolutely not a dog book

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Well written characters.
beautifully sculpted story . one to wrap up with

loved the dogs too.

loved it

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Found it hard to get into and struggled to stick with it. The story was only OK. Didn't like the narration which may be my problem with the book.

Only OK

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Just a fabulous book that twisted in a way I never thought it would. Loved this.

Fabulous and heartwarming

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