A New York Times Bestseller The amazing true story of a man and a little dog who formed an unbreakable bond in the middle of the Gobi desert–that changed both of their lives forever. Finding Gobi is the miraculous tale of Dion Leonard, a seasoned ultramarathon runner who crosses paths with a stray dog while competing in a 155-mile race through the Gobi Desert in China. The lovable pup, who would … lovable pup, who would later earn the name Gobi, went step for step with Dion over the Tian Shan Mountains and across massive sand dunes, keeping pace with him for 77 miles.
As Dion witnessed the incredible determination and heart of this small animal, he found his own heart undergoing a change as well. Whereas in the past these races were all about winning and being the best, his goal now was to make sure he and Gobi’s friendship continued well after the finish line.
However, before he could take her home, Gobi went missing in the sprawling Chinese city where she was being kept. Dion, with the help of strangers and a viral outpouring of assistance on the internet, set out to track her down, and reunite with the dog that changed his life.
Read this inspiring story and discover how miracles truly are possible–and find your own heart changing as well.
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So the scrappy little dog on the cover hooked me, but the author’s story totally reeled me in… fantastic read! I went into this a little hesitantly – worried it might have an ending like “Marley & Me” where the dog dies, but I’ll give you some reassurance without giving things away – this story has a fabulous ending! Very well written with past moments intermingled with present events to give deeper understanding, but done in an organized way that won’t leave you feeling confused. I had never heard of ultra marathons before this book, and it was fascinating to read about the training and events themselves – I have no desire to race across a desert like that, but it’s cool to read about folks who do! His experiences with the people in China, and the others who provided help and funding when he needed it most serve to remind us that there are many kind people in this world, and the author acknowledges this as well – he comes across as very grateful. Overall easy reading, uplifting, and well worth it!
This book is absolutely amazing. I loved reading about this dog’s journey and his soon to be owner’s journey. You want a good book to read. The twists and turns in this book are amazing. This stray Chinese dogs has so much love and shows it.
This was a really great story about a Dog who finds a runner and decides to run with him through the Gobi Desert. The dog, appropriately named Gobi runs 77 miles in the sweltering heat of the Gobi Desert. The runner, Dion Leonard who has run many marathons and ultras, was NOT expecting to meet up with this companion, had his heart set on running and winning, starts out being somewhat anti-social, but with the dog, the dog wins everyone’s heart. When Dion leaves China he is expecting to bring the dog home as soon as possible, but the Dog gets lost in China. This is the story of Dion’s search for Gobi, and of the many people he met and who helped him be re-united with his faithful dog. You really feel a sense of Dion’s anguish, his paranoia of the dog being stolen from him when Gobi is found, and his final relief at the end of the book.
loved it
Simply one of the best animal rescue stories I’ve ever read. Also, the guy who rescues Gobi has his own story arc, which makes the book doubly inspirational. If you love animals, dogs, and overcoming adversity, this is perfect. I had a hard time putting it down and could hardly wait to get back to it when I was able to pick it up again.
I really loved this story. This book was well written and kept me interested the whole way through. Not only was it a marvelous story about a captivating dog, it was also a heartwarming story of a man’s struggle and his courage in overcoming his demons.
Also, I never knew these around the world long distance races that take days to complete even existed.
A very compelling book to read. Hope the author has another book in the future.
Great read…
An Australian-born, Scotland-based ultra-marathon runner, Dion Leonard was just beginning his second day of a 155-mile race through the Gobi Desert in China, when he looked down and saw that he had a companion, a small sand colored terrier mix dog. The dog ran with him for 126 Km, but then he had her transported from finish point to finish point with one of the marathon organizers, fearing it would be too much for her. At the end of each leg she would spot him running towards her, and sprint to meet him. Dion new that he and this little dog had a very strong and special connection, and he had already decided that after the race, he would put plans into action to bring the dog back to Scotland.
Leaving the dog in the care of one of the Organizers, while he flew home to Scotland to find out what needed to be done, which is quite a bit, he hears that Gobi has run away from the caretaker, and has been missing for at least 10 days. He decides to go back to China, with blessings from his wife, to find the little dog if he could.
He had a wonderful group of locals that, worked with him tirelessly, putting up posters, talking to people etc. .
This is a very heartwarming story, of the love between a dog and a man, one which goes through much frustration, fear, paranoia, etc before it comes to its ending. I will not go into details of what happened to make this reunion come to fruition, as I feel, the fun of a story is being able to discover it as you read it.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson – W Publishing for the ARC of this book.
I read this book in two days. Such a story. I don’t know how I missed this when it happened only four years ago. Reading this book was just the escape I needed and I found myself smiling and getting teary all too often- feeling all the feels. What an amazing dog and what an incredible athelete! I also really, really enjoyed the relationship between husband and wife – refreshingly supportive and equal. Great book – highly recommend (even if you aren’t a dog person). Also a great read if you are a runner – it sure inspired me to go further and faster today and to marvel at the capacity of the human body.
This little dog is truly amazing.
Having just lost my dog, I wasn’t sure I’d want to read anything about dogs or animals, but I picked this one up a while back and decided to give it a try. Gobi is a real trip of a dog. She managed to run along for almost 70 miles while Dion, her eventual owner, ran an endurance race. There is a lot about racing and running, so if that’s something that interests you, this might be a draw. There is a lot about the relationship between Dion and Gobi, as well as Dion and his wife, who helped him really decide he’d take Gobi home. He meets Gobi in the Gobi Desert and can’t leave the little dog in China. There is a huge chunk dedicated to getting Gobi to the UK and how hard it is to move a pet between countries. I had no idea how hard it would be. This book also showed me the depths of human meanness, too. I hated that Dion and his wife had to deal with the nastiness from the internet because the dog they weren’t able to bring home and had decided to retrieve, had gone missing. I know, it seems crazy. Just read the book.
If you’re looking for a book about the bond between people and dogs, then this is the book for you. It’s a great read.
I started out thinking I would read about a lost dog. Instead it was about a long distance runner who discovered there is more to life than your own selfish needs. He is slowly realizes the dog has adopted him. And a bond grows between them. I highly recommend this heart warming, inspirational book.
The author talked about himself way too much. I couldn’t finish the book.
Amazing!
Great real life story.
Loved this story! Learned a bit about runners & the country! Great story !
Fabulous story
An absolutely heart-tugging and heart-warming tale! I was unable to put this book down until I had read it completely..in one sitting! A very worthwhile, enjoyable read!
This book was fair.
This nonfiction account of a runner’s life-defying foot race across the Gobi Desert is an amazing story in itself. But he somehow attracts a small dog who starts to run with him, forming an inron-clad bond. The bond is so strong that when the author returns to his homeland in the West, he decides to do all he can to get the little dog back. This ultimately leads to his return to the Gobi area in search of his dog, where every effort seems doomed to fail. Will he ever see his dog again? How did this quest affect his marriage? It’s worth the read to find out.
I could not put this book down, being a dog lover. What this man went through to save this dog, and bring her out of China, was amazing. Gread read