The national bestselling memoir of a friendship between a New England outdoorsman and the scrawny foxhound who came to his door one snowy day. In the midst of a blizzard, late one Christmas night in the 1950s, author Hal Borland heard a howl at the back door of his home on a hundred-acre farm in the Housatonic Valley of northwest Connecticut. Resistant at first, he called around trying to find an … trying to find an owner whose dog had gone missing—with no luck. Finally, with the encouragement of his wife and haunted by memories of his childhood collie, Borland brought some scraps of leftover steak outside. This was his introduction to Pat, a miserable, half-starved, but deeply trusting black-and-white foxhound mutt.
Pat would soon become a member of the family, accompanying Borland on hunts and terrorizing the local woodchuck population—and teaching him that sometimes our most immediate connection to the natural world is through the animals we live with. A longtime journalist and a winner of the John Burroughs Medal for distinguished nature writing, Borland tells the tale of the time he shared with Pat in this touching true story that “will appeal to many sportsmen and to all people who have ever been closely attached to a dog” (The New York Times Book Review).
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Heart warming for any dog lover
Truthful and excellent insight into world of pets.
I enjoyed this book. I love the mountains and animals. Didn’t realize that it was published in 1961 until I finished it but I kind of suspected it. I loved learning about Pat and his many dog adventures. Didn’t like that the author hit his dog with a rolled up newspaper but it was a different time. Not a big fan of hunting either however I do know …
More of a personal journey.
Lovely story about a dog that adopts a couple in rural CT in the 50’s.
Wow – I LOVED this book! If you are into animals you will love it, too! This is a wonderful memoir about an author and his wife who allowed a stray dog into their life, and how it changed all of them. Sometimes funny, sometimes heart-rending. All the time real, true and touching. I didn’t want it to end. Looking forward to reading another …
Lovely book
This book was great for dog lovers, but also for everyone who enjoys being outside , hunting, fishing and being with others who enjoy the same things.
Very educational, and inspirational. Definitely recommend.
What a marvelous distraction from today’s rotten news!
I was taken back 60 years into rural New England for a story about a dog and his people, and what a great escape it was.
It was surprisingly well written and well edited–a welcome change from modern “just-released” on-line books I usually get from BookBub.
Take the vacation and enjoy the …
Nice read, if a little long.
Loved this book. Sorry to find that no libraries have copies of it in my area as it was written so long ago. Nice to finally read a dog book that doesn’t end sadly.
Loved this book – anyone who owns a dog should read this.
Not that interesting. I love dogs but couldn’t get into this one.
Loved the story in this book! Getting toward the end, I didn’t want it to end.
Not a dog lover but interesting.
It was just ok
I needed a book that was ” feel good”. This was fun to read.
Such a beautifully written true account of a very special, intelligent, and unique dog and his relationships with people. It was inspirational, not in a spiritual sense, but in amazement at the potential for a dog to have the understanding and decisionmaking ability of this dog, Pat. The author is truly gifted in the beauty of his writing.
I enjoyed other Hal Borland books and this one did not disappoint.