Ericka Waller's Dog Days is a debut novel about the way dogs can bring out the best in us in the face of life's challenges.
George is a grumpy, belligerent old man who has just lost his wife. She has left him notes around the home and a miniature dachshund puppy called Poppy. But George doesn’t want a dog, he wants to fight everyone who is trying to help him.
Dan has OCD but has channeled his energy into his career as a therapist. Afraid to acknowledge his true feelings, his most meaningful relationship so far is with his dog Fitz. That is, until Atticus walks into 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 the world. She distrusts dogs, but when she starts having to walk the refuge’s dog, Maud, things begin to change.
As three strangers' lives unravel and intersect, they ultimately must accept what fate has in store for them with their dogs by their sides. Set against the backdrop of Brighton, Dog Days is an inspiring, unflinching, and deeply moving novel about life, and the way dogs can help us understand it, and each other, a little better.
Genre: General Fiction
George is a grumpy, belligerent old man who has just lost his wife. She has left him notes around the home and a miniature dachshund puppy called Poppy. But George doesn’t want a dog, he wants to fight everyone who is trying to help him.
Dan has OCD but has channeled his energy into his career as a therapist. Afraid to acknowledge his true feelings, his most meaningful relationship so far is with his dog Fitz. That is, until Atticus walks into 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 the world. She distrusts dogs, but when she starts having to walk the refuge’s dog, Maud, things begin to change.
As three strangers' lives unravel and intersect, they ultimately must accept what fate has in store for them with their dogs by their sides. Set against the backdrop of Brighton, Dog Days is an inspiring, unflinching, and deeply moving novel about life, and the way dogs can help us understand it, and each other, a little better.
Genre: General Fiction
Praise for this book
"A charming, surprising and moving story of three troubled characters' encounter with love, grief, healing...and dogs!" - Clare Chambers
"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
"Dog Days is a Russian doll of a book that twists and tugs each outer husk, revealing delicate and poignant inner layers. Irascible old bastard George, with the soft core of a Scotch egg; Dan, a shy counsellor who keeps his jazz hands firmly lowered; Lizzie, a fragile, fact-loving mother weighed down by scars and secrets. It’s a soulful, lyrical tale that brings them - and their dogs - together in a satisfying whole. Such a treat." - Beth Morrey
"Dog Days is an emotional tour-de-force that will leave you with the whole-hearted understanding that dogs really do bring people (even the most unlikely of us) together." - Annie England Noblin
"Dog Days is an intriguing mosaic in which the human characters are full of foibles and the dogs are gloriously doggy. 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." - Hazel Prior
"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
"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
"Dog Days is a Russian doll of a book that twists and tugs each outer husk, revealing delicate and poignant inner layers. Irascible old bastard George, with the soft core of a Scotch egg; Dan, a shy counsellor who keeps his jazz hands firmly lowered; Lizzie, a fragile, fact-loving mother weighed down by scars and secrets. It’s a soulful, lyrical tale that brings them - and their dogs - together in a satisfying whole. Such a treat." - Beth Morrey
"Dog Days is an emotional tour-de-force that will leave you with the whole-hearted understanding that dogs really do bring people (even the most unlikely of us) together." - Annie England Noblin
"Dog Days is an intriguing mosaic in which the human characters are full of foibles and the dogs are gloriously doggy. 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." - Hazel Prior
"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
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