About the Book
“What if a wheezing, sneezing, allegedly house-trained, ticking time bomb of an orphan pug is the key to helping a family feel at home again, after an arsonist set their house—and life—on fire? If you asked me, I would have said it’s a bad idea; we can do better. Unfortunately no one asked me, and The Pug List is my family’s story.”
In the fire’s aftermath of insurance battles royal, rebuilding plans, parenting in the face of life’s hard questions and a scorching case of post-traumatic stress, now is absolutely the worst possible time to adopt a dog. But to Alison’s seven-year-old daughter, Eden, it’s the perfect time—and The Relentless Campaign begins.
Until one day Alison peeks inside Eden’s diary—dubbed “The Pug List”—and realizes in one fell swoop that her girl’s heart is on the line, and resistance is futile (“The pugs make me happy FOREVER.”).
Enter “Outrageous” Oliver, and the hilarity, healing, and irresistible hope that follows.
Review :
This is a beautiful story, and beautifully told, of family and loss and love and rebuilding. Alison Hodgson's love for literature is evident on every page. Shauna Niequist, author of Bread & Wine and Savor You don't have to like pugs to love this book. You'll laugh and cry as you follow the family's adventures through tragedy and triumphs, facing it all with honesty, faith, and humor. Dale Hanson Bourke, author At long last, research is confirming what dog lovers already know: Each dog is a unique, sentient being with a complex personality. And Oliver, the snorty little black dog of The Pug List, has more personality, and less bladder control, than most. I'm in love with this powerful story about a hurting family who adopts and is adopted by an unforgettable dog that makes a little girl named Eden smile once again. Susy Flory, New York Times bestselling author or coauthor of ten books, including Thunder Dog and Painting with Metro A beautifully penned story of resilience and recovery, The Pug List is an inspirational memoir for anyone who has ever loved and lost. This family's emotional journey provides a poignant lesson from a hopeful little girl and a troublesome pug to remind us that love is always worth the struggle. Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Feathered Bone I loved this story---heart-wrenching, heartwarming, and ultimately life-affirming. Alison Hodgson shows us very clearly the wonderful impact a dog can have on a family and the spiritual truth they teach us. Highly recommended. Jim Kraus, author of The Dog That Saved Stewart Coolidge and The Dog That Whispered By turns sweet and terrifying, Alison Hodgson takes us on a journey through the rebuilding of a house and a home. Regaining trust, recovering personalities, and adding a fur kid to the family on the way, she talks without sentimentality about the love of God for us, the love of mothers for families, and the love between kids and dogs. This memoir is a charmer. Wendy Welch, author of The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap Alison Hodgson's tender lament in the wake of her family's house fire rings with faith and hope, even laughter. Her story mirrors life itself: love and beauty, complicated by grief---but never fully extinguished. Jen Pollock Michel, author of Christianity Today's 2015 Book of the Year, Teach Us to Want Why is a pug so good?" So a little girl ponders in the pages of her journal while her family rebuilds following an inexplicable and devastating loss. The answer to this simple but deeply theological question is unfolded through this riveting and delightful memoir, encompassing everything that really matters: faith, family, and the unfailing goodness of God in the midst of both suffering and joy. Karen Swallow Prior, PhD, author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me and Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More-Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist The Pug List is the best kind of book: heartwarming and hilarious and everything in between. In her family's wrenching story of loss and discovery, Alison Hodgson reminds us that even in the worst bits of life, God stands ready to restore and redeem. And that this redemption is all the better when it comes with a dog. Caryn Rivadeneira, author of Known and Loved: 52 Devotions from the Psalms Alison Hodgson's The Pug List is an affecting story of the author's experience as a person of faith, a victim of arson, a present wife and mother, and a lover of dogs, who sometimes---in desperation---finds herself praying in all capital letters. And it's an account of God's mysterious, loving answers to her prayers. Jennifer Grant, author of Disquiet Time and Wholehearted Living What if a ludicrous little dog was the capstone for a family rebuilding---not their physical house, but their feeling of home and haven? What if he was the sneezing, wheezing answer to their prayers? In this tenderly wrought memoir, Alison Hodgson brings wisdom, spirit, and laughter to the story of what happened to her family after an arsonist set fire to their home. Anyone who has ever suffered devastation and loss or loved an animal with their whole heart will find a kindred soul in Alison, her family, and Oliver the Pug too. Lorilee Craker, author of Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me: What My Favorite Book Taught Me about Grace, redemption, and the Orphan in Us All and the New York Times bestseller Through the Storm with Lynne Spears
