Walking Alison: A Poodle’s Mostly True Story of Helping Her Human Navigate Life

by Alison Rand

How did humans manage to function before dogs were domesticated some 23,000 years ago?

That is what Dea, a savvy black poodle, wonders in Walking A Poodle’s Mostly True Story of Helping Her Human Navigate Life, by Alison Rand—a wise and jaunty memoir told entirely from her dog’s point of view. During their daily walks, new puppy Dea pulls her human, Alison, by the leash into making connections, handling crippling loss, and coping with the challenges of life. What might have been tragic through Alison’s eyes finds wider perspective and resonance through Dea’s as she tolerates Alison’s pathetic attempts at meditation and online dating, sees her through a second bout of cancer, and finally steers Alison toward appreciating life’s daily wonders that are a puppy’s birthright. Thanks to Dea’s “training,” Alison learns to finally trust herself in new and life-affirming ways, realizing that feeling safe is a conscious decision.

201 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[Rachelle LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking Alison by @alison.rand2 was an interesting read. It is a memoir told in the POV of her poodle Dea. There were several points that I couldn’t help but laugh at Dea. Her “take” on certain things was just so well written and something I could see a pet thinking.

If you like to read nonfiction and/or memoirs and want something that is a little different, Walking Alison would be a good option.

I received a complimentary copy of Walking Alison as part of a blog tour. My grandma is looking forward to reading it now that I am finished.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you a dog lover? This book is for you! Told from a dog’s perspective this book chronicles her life as she helps her human through love and heartbreak and illness. It gave me all the feels, I laughed and I cried and felt every other emotion as I read about Dea and Alison’s life. Dea is such a good dog, except for when she is not, and the things she gets into any dog parent will recognize. She is always there for Alison even if she doesn’t understand why she acts the way she does. It was enjoyable to read about life from a dog’s perspective and was a different way to present a memoir. I recommend this for dog lover’s as well as memoir readers.

Thanks to the author and Books Forward PR for providing a copy for my honest review.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book from a dog’s perspective? Yes, please! “Walking Alison” by Alison Rand is sweet, sad, and heartwarming. As a pet parent, I found connections with Alison’s experiences with her pup, Dea. It captures the unconditional love our pets give us and how that love can be grounding even during the worst times.

Dea’s perspective adds a fun layer to the story, particularly with her dramatic descriptions of time passing when Alison leaves, calling it “many seasons” or “a zillion years.” As someone who cherishes the companionship of my own pets, this book felt like a warm hug and a reminder of why their presence means so much. If you’ve ever had a pet touch your heart, you’ll find so much to love in this story!

[lori pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Alison Rand for the e-ARC of this book.

I adore poodles and for me, this was a light-hearted, fun read! Dea is a black female poodle who narrates her life with Alison, her owner. We are treated to the chronicles of Alison's life, the ups and downs, through Dea's eyes from early puppy days through adult life. We are treated to logic and reasoning from a dog's perspective. We don't have them for long and this is a great read to remind all pet lovers that our furry friends have a method to their sometimes madness!

Highly recommend!

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as I love all kinds of dogs, and not just poodles. This book is told from Dea's( the dog's perspective) and there are some absolutely LOL moments while you are reading this book! Dea stands by Alison through thick and thin and she is a good dog and a good companion. I loved the author's creative way of taking her memoir and telling it through the eyes of Dea her dog. 🥰

I highly recommend this one to dog readers and people who love memoirs told in a unique way.

[Kayla (page.and.pour) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Walking Alison, written from the perspective of Dea, and was an extremely clever take on a dogs perspective on life with her owner Alison. I appreciated the real life modern age take on things like online dating, and in these moments I was laughing hard. There were also some really hard topics in this book that pulled on my heart strings, and it definitely left me thinking about how my life experiences are seen through my dogs eyes. A quick easy read for any dog lover out there!

[Vicki McNally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

This is the type of book I enjoy when I don't want to have to think a lot. LOL. I love dogs and used to have a small poodle mix, very intelligent! Good book as long as you don't take it seriously.