The Pug List: A Ridiculous Little Dog, a Family Who Lost Everything, and How They All Found Their Way Home

by Alison Hodgson

Overview

“Poignant . . . Through the irresistible Oliver, Hodgson reminds readers that true safety in this world rests beyond our worldly desires and possessions.” —Kirkus Reviews

How do you recover when your life as you know it is burned down to the ground? That’s exactly what happened to Alison Hodgson and her family, when an arsonist singlehandedly turned their home into a crime scene overnight. The Pug List is a story of a family who lost everything but each other, the ridiculous orphan pug who came into their lives, and the unexpected ways we all find our way home as guided by God’s unconventional grace.

Bonus Content Included: Includes Oliver’s Diary, a 24-page enhanced ebook with full-color photographs, videos, and diary entries from The Real Pug Oliver.

“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–bestselling author of The Feathered Bone

“An immensely likable story about family in all its forms and the joy and even blessings to be found in life’s struggles.” —Modern Dog

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310343844
Publisher:	HarperCollins Christian Publishing
Publication date:	03/21/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	203
File size:	6 MB

Editorial Reviews

'Readers will find themselves laughing, crying, and then sitting silently while contemplating how they might handle such an event themselves.'

CBA Retailers & Resources

'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

'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

'This heartwarming true story concerns a family who, after losing everything in a fire set by an arsonist, pick up the pieces of their life with the help of a wheezing, un-housetrained rescue pug. . . . An immensely likable story about family in all its forms and the joy and even blessings to be found in life's struggles.'

Modern Dog

''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

'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.'

author of Known and Loved: 52 Devotions from t Caryn Rivadeneira

'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

'A charming, funny and brutally honest take, demonstrating in surprising ways the power of God's constant love.'

Simple Grace Magazine

'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.'

author of Bread & Wine and Savor Shauna Niequist

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.

author of The Dog That Saved Stewart Coolidge and Jim Kraus

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.

author Dale Hanson Bourke

'The Pug List’ is an honest memoir about loss as Hodgson reveals that an arsonist set the fire, the struggles the family faced, and the journey toward healing they are still on. It’s heartwarming, wry, and hilarious, as well.

Grand Rapids Magazine

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.

author of The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap Wendy Welch

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.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Julie Cantrell

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.

author of Disquiet Time and Wholehearted Living Jennifer Grant