Dog Days

'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, author of AWAY WITH THE PENGUINS

'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

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.

'Tender, humorous and hopeful' LISSA EVANS, author of V for Victory

'A novel to cherish . . . a refreshingly inventive, rejuvenating story of the intertwining lives of three people and their dogs . . . poignant and delightful in equal measure.' MARY LOUDON, author of My House is Falling Down

'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.' RONAN HESSION, author of Leonard and Hungry Paul

'With its tightly plotted twists Dog Days is an exhilarating, at times even vertiginous ride - but the dogs are there to hold onto, nudging things along with wet noses and deep wisdom as they always do. The mix of human passion and canine good sense works triumphantly.' Ed Stourton, presenter BBC Radio 4

'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