Travels With Casey

by Benoit Denizet-Lewis

A New York Times bestseller and People “Book of the Week”: This hilarious, charming road trip through canine-loving America is “essential reading for dog lovers and armchair travelers” (Library Journal, starred review).

“I don’t think my dog likes me very much,” New York Times Magazine writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis confesses at the beginning of his cross-country journey with his nine-year-old Labrador-mix, Casey. Over the next four months, thirty-two states, and 13,000 miles in a rented motor home, Denizet-Lewis and his lovable, moody canine companion try—with humorous and touching results—to pay tribute to the most powerful interspecies bond there is, in the country with the highest rate of dog ownership in the world.

On the way, Denizet-Lewis—“a master at effortlessly weaving bits of research into his narrative” (Los Angeles Times)—meets an irresistible cast of dogs and their dog-obsessed humans. Denizet-Lewis and Casey hang out with wolf-dogs in Appalachia, enter a dock-jumping competition in Florida, meet homeless teens and their dogs in Washington, sleep in a Beagle-shaped bed and breakfast in Idaho, and visit “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan in California. And then there are the really out there characters: pet psychics, dog-wielding hitchhikers, and two women who took their neighbor to court for allegedly failing to pick up her dog’s poop.

Denizet-Lewis’s memoir “is a lot like Casey…fun, sweet, and a little neurotic” (Chicago Tribune)—a delightfully idiosyncratic blend of memoir and travelogue coupled with a sociological exploration of a dog-obsessed America. Travels With Casey is “a thoroughly engaging and often hilarious investigation of the therapeutic nature of our relationships with dogs” (Booklist).

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, Memoir, Travel, Humor, Adventure

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2014

About the author

Benoit Denizet-Lewis is an associate professor at Emerson College and a longtime contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. He has written three previous books, including America Anonymous and the New York Times bestseller Travels With Casey. His new book, You've Changed: The Promise and Price of Self-Transformation, comes out in April 2026. A New America Fellow and NEH Public Scholar, he divides his time between Boston and Prague.

Reviews

[Rose Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I love dog books! I was really looking forward to this book expecting a fun, uplifting story of author's travels. I was sad to say there was way too much in the book about animal cruelty. Some passages I had to skip so as not to have that image in my mind. I am not naive to think that cruel treatment doesn't exist but I hate reading about it and did not think this would be the type of book that would have this content. Also, author interjected his love life which would have been fine except it really had no connection to the main story. When author did have an interesting character interaction, he skimmed through it. Some of the characters, he could have made into whole chapters. I did like the story of the dog rescuer in Saint Louis area but again, author focused on describing the cruelty. I would have rather left that to my imagination and read about the successes the rescuer experienced.

[Steve R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads winner book. I bid on this book for a few reasons; being a dog lover, having a daughter named Casey, owning a travel trailer and enjoying camping (although we have not attempted with our animals). I was expecting a book that contained fun and uplifting dog stories along with sharing interesting views of our vast country through the eyes of a dog on a long road trip via a camper. As mentioned in some other reviews, there contains a on-going narrative (which is not family friendly) related to the authors personal struggles with past and present in relationships, family and his dog Casey. The primary reason for this trip, besides generating content for this book, was to solve his perceived relationship problem with his dog Casey for which he told his psychoanalyst before the trip "I don't think my dog likes me very much". By the end of the trip I think he came to appreciate the way Casey naturally is due to gaining experience with other dogs including a new dog he rescues named Rezzy. This was a change in perspective, not due to working on or repairing the relationship with Casey during the trip. The stories in the book focused on stops in more rural parts of our country, or poorer parts of town where he encounters other dog owners, rescue organizations, trainers, PETA org and other colorful people which result in describing the darker side of society and the negative impact this has on dogs and strays. I wish there were more positive stories and shorter chapters (such as in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series), but that was clearly not the purpose of this book. He references how there was a social media campaign you could follow of his trip as it occurred. It would have been nice to capture some of these posts in the book as this likely would provide more insight into the trip then just the select stories that were used for the book. While the journey was mapped out based upon scheduled meetings vs random experiences traveling the country, there are a few stories from these spontaneous encounters (finding Rezzy) and these were the best ones. I found the closing of the book to be a bit rushed during the trip home with less stories traveling back after Idaho. But, the author made it clear being on the road and in an RV had worn him out and he couldn't wait for it to end. If this trip was taken by a RV lover that enjoyed these long trips, the mood and perspective may have been more positive. Overall, my disappoint in the book is only because I expected it to be something different. It is more about the status of dogs in America who are not well taken care of in a typical loving home environment (which is the majority), and less about a long trip with Casey and insights into that relationship. The insights into his new dog Rezzy picked up during the journey and the growth of that relationship have the most focus.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book operates on several different levels. On the one hand, it is a modern recreation (more or less) of Travels With Charlie: just a guy and his dog going off to see America. And then there's the places they go and the people they meet and I knew dogs were popular in the US, but I had no idea they were THAT popular. And then there's this whole inner journey of the author, with bits about his family, and his friends, and his relationship with his dog which is disappointing because he wanted a more devoted sort of dog than he got in Casey (One advantage of cats is that it's easier to keep getting new ones until you get the sort of personality you're looking for). I';m not really a dog person, but Denizet-Lewis could change my mind.


Library copy

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like Denizet-Lewis's writing, and when I heard he was writing a dog book, I happily followed his Facebook page about it from the very start. Which means two things:
1. I had high expectations for this book.
2. I was already familiar with a lot of the stories.

I was destined for disappointment.

Firstly, the book doesn't know if it wants to be a personal memoir or a travelogue of the interesting dog people he meets. It bounces back and forth. I wanted it to just choose a side and stay there.

Secondly, this is a book in desperate need of a stronger editor. It seems he could not settle on an organizational theme. This is LOOSELY structured as a chronological journey, following him as he travels, but other sections center on a theme (all the therapy dogs he's met on the trip, for example. and I'm left thinking, "huh? He didn't mention this when he was in Arizona!"). I wondered if perhaps he had wanted to follow a more epistolary all format, in which one's thoughts meander while writing the letter? I wanted either more structure, or a lot less structure. The tepid in-between was not pleasing.

Similarly, sometimes there is too much detail (no, I don't want to read about your on the road exercise plan), and other times not nearly enough (he stays in a mini hotel shaped like a beagle and we barely hear about it!).

Thirdly, and to my surprise, I kind of didn't like him! ... I really WANTED to like him, but he sure made it difficult. And that can be a problem when the author is part of the story.



I will say, I have Denizet-Lewis to thank for my discovery of Potcake dogs (stray dogs from the Bahamas) - shortly after finishing his book, he vacationed in the Bahamas and posted on FB about the Local strays called Potcake dogs. He mentioned the rescue groups who collect the strays and find homes for them, often in mainland US. I contacted a rescue group he mentioned, and a few months later I had my first Potcake puppy, fresh from Eleuthra. A year and a half later I got a second puppy. I guess he hadn't heard of Potcakes when he wrote his book, because I immediately did a search on my Kindle version and came up empty. These are my Potcakes (looking for chipmunks):

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author rents a motor home and takes off with his dog Casey on a road trip across the continental US and back, beginning in Massachusetts. Along the way they stop for just about anything dog related. This sounds like it should be a fun book to read and parts of it are, but too much of it is like listening in on someone else’s therapy session—not much fun, and not what I was hoping for. There is enough here that has something about dogs to keep it interesting, but I could have done with a lot less soul searching by the human author and more reveling in the canine spirit. As the book wound down to it’s conclusion, I was definitely ready for it to end. Lewis too seemed to have had enough as he practically sprints through the last third of the country, rushing to return to New England.

For me, TRAVELS WITH CASEY is a book that fails to live up to its’ possibilities. Perspective can make or break any image and not only did I feel that Lewis looked inward far too often, but I found his worldview to be of the glass half empty variety. If Goodreads had half stars, I would give this book two and one half. I rounded up to three because I like dogs.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to the happy looking yellow lab on the front cover, not unlike my own sweet girl. The book sounded like a travel adventure - who wouldn't love to be able to drive around with the puppies wherever whim and a few preplanned activities took you? It all sounded lovely to me and I jumped right in the book. It was a little bit of a slow start with the author talking about why he'd undertaken this journey and discussing a lot of hangups with his dog, his family, etc. Okay, ready for the travel part! The travel sections throughout the rest of the book were wildly disorganized at best and an aggravation to read at worst. He clearly met some very cool people along his journey and visited some really neat places. He mentions loving two of them - Austin and Savannah - and devoting not more than a sentence or two to each of them whilst regaling us about his infatuation with a guy he met along the way. As an article or series of articles, it wouldn't have been bad. As a 300 page book, however, it was not worth the time investment.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travel plus dogs. My perfect life.

[JD · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terribly interesting or insightful.Far too much navel-gazing on the part of the author and his personal problems.

[Bruce Christopher Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travels with Casey, by Benoit Denizet-Lewis and due out in July, is well worth the time for anyone who has ever had a dog in their life. It is packed with reports from scholars, scientists, literary types and whack jobs, all of whom weigh in on this enduring bond. One can also be exceedingly grateful that Denizet-Lewis has done all the very hard work of research, study and wheels-on-the-ground investigation and interviews to create this heartfelt tribute to the wet-nosed ones all around us. Another plus, for anyone who tracked the journey on Facebook: the number of pixels is multiplied many-fold as postings of place names and one- or two-line anecdotes are fully fleshed out.

Denizet-Lewis, writer, thirtyish, and Casey, Labrador mix, nineish, light out for the country, all of it, on an almost four-month trip in a rented RV dubbed the Chalet. The results are not quite a journal made into a book. Instead, Denizet-Lewis produces half an autobiography/travelogue, one-quarter a compilation of dog facts and one-quarter a coming to terms with, and a Valentine to, his canine fixation. In the prologue, he describes his quandary, that he has "a fraught relationship" with his dog and that "I wanted---I needed---to feel better about my dog."

It is rare to have such an articulate and self-knowing voice guide us through material that is overladen with all of our peculiar, human perspectives, our obsessive anthropomorphizing; he provides access and presents an annotated catalog of dog people, dog rescuers, dog therapists and dog whisperers---several dozen in all (Westminster too). All dog, all the time.

What is remarkable, however, about Travels with Casey is its doggone postpostmodern conceit: We may believe that we have a relationship with our dogs, but we also, quite probably, may not. What we have is symbiosis, a living together with a catch-as-catch-can mutualism. Denizet-Lewis underlines this with his periodic freakouts over Casey wanting to sleep only nearby (he is not a cuddler) or running off. Try as he might, over 13,000 miles, the author quests to know Casey and ends up with, yes, acceptance.

The turning point of the journey occurs in Arizona, where Denizet-Lewis impulsively adopts a rez (for "reservation") dog, and this animal is the counterpoint to Casey's aloofness. Rezzy plays well with others and is quick with affection for the author and for Casey. The downside is that Rezzy can bolt. It's complicated, but lovely to experience with this author, who brings us as close as we have gotten to seeing the world through a dog's eyes.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a goodreads first reads winner of the book "Travels with Casey'Benoit Denizet- Lewis is a writer for the New York times. He decides to go on a roadtrip in a RV with his dog Casey, a laborador-golden retriever mix. He plans on spending the next few months traveling across the United states. he stays in certain areas and gets to know some of the people and their dogs. His plan is to interview people and learn about the relationships they have with their dogs. He visits dog parks,he meets people who own wolf dogs, stays in a motel shaped like a beagle. Along the way he meets Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer and gets some advice on handling your dog. some of this book is sad since he spends time in St.Louis hearing about the dog rescues that have happened there. some of that is very heart breaking. this is a charming book and well done. I can see that the author is a genuine dog lover to devote four months traveling and learning about dogs and their people. I used to have a dog named "Casey" myself.so it was fun to read a book from someone with a "Casey" of their own.I also loved the part where he adopted a stray dog during his travels and named her "Rezzie" lucky girl!
anyone who loves dogs may find this an interesting and fun book to read.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest I didn’t care much for Benoit at the beginning of his book—too neurotic about his dog Casey. What won me over was when he rescued Rezzy. I think I began to like him maybe, when he began to like himself. His book is filled with interesting facts and trivia about dogs, some funny, some warm and fuzzy, some heart-wrenching. I was fascinated by the relationship American Indians have had with dogs over the years, one of my favorite parts of the book. I commend the author for his research. His trip was well planned to give him a trip full of interesting dog stories. His personal life was less interesting—could have done with less of that and more on the dogs and characters he met in his travels.

Oh yes, and one last thing—while I know this is a book about dogs and not about baseball, I can’t help referring to Benoit’s “hapless” comment about the “hapless” Kansas City Royals when he’s stopped by a cop on a windy day in Missouri: “I told him that keeping the RV steady in these conditions was about as unlikely as the hapless Kansas City Royals winning a World Series.” (p. 278) Well, they didn’t win Benoit, but they sure came close this year. So who’s “hapless” now?

[Georgia hillstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book through goodreads, firs reads giveaway. First off the front cover was delightful with Casey holding a post card, loved the pose of his feet, his loving eyes caught me, I was anxious to get into the book. We are introduced to Gold a psychoanalyst. I quite enjoyed their conversation and the bit about Freud. If you love dogs or don't, either way this book will grab pull in. Feeling good along with daily life and a little sadness, this book covers it all. I was emotionally touched by the author's sharing some of his personal life and friends with us. I just felt for some of the nice people he met along the way. While reading I was taking notes of books he suggested helped him. I think my favorite part in the book if I had to chose was they stay in Marfa area. To the border patrol stop to the San Antonio largest animal shelter. I am glad he sheds light on this. I had lived in the area for several years.
If I could I would give this author a hug. His writings restores my faith a little in humans that there are still some good people left in the world out there. Dog lover or not I don't see how you could not like this book. I loved it.

[James Salvatore · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a number of ways, large and small, in which Benoit Denizet-Lewis’ dog-centric road-trip memoir Travels with Casey fails to find the potential of its premise. Primarily if one of the central narratives of a book is the relationship between an author and his dog, the former should possess the talent of writing compellingly about the character, demeanor and actions of the later in a way that establishes the animal as an individual. Benoit doesn’t possess this talent and, as if in recognition, through the course of their cross-country journey Casey moves from being the book’s inspiration to an afterthought. When Benoit does on occasion attempt to portray into their relationship, he becomes mired in perceived shortcomings and personal history, seemingly unaware that this solipsism is what stymies the canine connection he longs for.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!! 7.57 CAWPILE

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

This book has been on my shelves for sometime and for this I am deeply sorry. This was a hidden gem on my shelves that I should have gotten to YEARS ago!

I am definitely more of a cat-person than a dog-person but I absolutely loved this book. There is so much content crammed into 300 pages and I could not stop reading this. I wanted to know how Benoit, Casey and Rezzy's journey ended.

This story was so beautiful to read and I am so glad that Benoit Denizet-Lewis allowed us to come along with him on a very intimate journey to discover the ultimate connection between man and canine.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted this book to be so much more than what it was, which is a fault within the reader as much as the author. I enjoyed the "dog" and the "travel" aspects of the story, but the personal aspects of the author's life were intrusive at times, and seemed almost primary compared to his explorations of dogs and their lives across the country. I kept thinking that if I was given the time and money to travel the country researching dogs, I could have written a GREAT book, and this was only pretty good.

[Lindsay Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Blew through it. Super easy read filled with fun travels and tons of information. I loved reading all the cool stories about dogs. Did you know that George Washington once sent a lost pup back to his British commander owner? I DO NOW. That's right. These are the types of fun facts you can glean from this book. I'm giving it 4 stars only because the writing wasn't that awesome. There was a bit of traveling that jumped around a bit. Overall I LOVED.

[Hugh Minor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering the title, this book traveled nowhere...slowly. The narrator's encounters along the way weren't really that interesting nor did they help provide insight on his journey. He was trying to find answers but I think he was asking the wrong questions all along. And looking in the wrong place. The problem wasn't the dog, it was [omit spoiler].

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had held onto this book not reading for years. Picked it up at the college bookstore where my daughter attended. Boy really thought I’d love, actually quite boring. Moved along in and out with people that I never found that interesting and possibly because I thought the book would be more uplifting and centered on dog antics.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I alternated between loving this book and wanting to throw it across the room. There were moments of clarity and insight that really rang true...and then it was followed by extreme navel-gazing by the author. A fun beach read...

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish there were more stories that involved smaller dogs. I enjoyed reading about the rv'ing as well as the dogs. I appreciated how rounded the book is. Touched a lot of different areas of dog related problems. Learned quite a bit.

[Holli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travels with Charley has long since been my favorite book, so no big surprise that I loved this. The author's cross-country adventures with his sweet dog companion gave me a serious case of wanderlust. I loved seeing the US from this traveling duo!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! This book will take you on an emotional journey through the United States with man's best friend. It's worth the read.

[Geoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was the premise, the thread, of a good book here. It started decently; but I just didn't care enough about the author or his story, and felt obligated more than interested to finish reading.

[Nolan]

This is a charming book in the tradition of Charles Kuralt’s On the Road series. The author, convinced early in the book that his nine-year-old Golden Retriever Labrador Retriever mix, doesn’t like him, determines to travel the nation in an RV to explore the relationship between Americans and their dogs. And what a relationship it is! Some of these people he describes are people you’ll long remember. There’s a bookstore owner in Georgia whose bookstore is unique indeed and whose love for her dogs is real.

He visits animal shelters where far too many dogs are euthanized. That’s not his fault, of course, and cruelty to dogs is part of the American relationship with them, but some of that is tough to read.

He rescues a sick dog from a Navajo reservation, takes it to an animal shelter in southern Utah, and winds up adopting it. That single act changes the relationship he has with his dog—a relationship about which he was insecure, to say the least.

Here’s why this gets a relatively low rating from me. I signed on to really read about the relationship between people and their dogs. I got some of that, but there’s way too much information here about his love life’s ups and downs to suit me. I realize that, as a practical matter, you can’t easily separate your love life from your life in general, but I would have much more enjoyed reading about the quirky characters and their dogs he encountered. The book also took a downward tilt when he paid so much attention to Cesar Millan, the famed dog whisperer of cable television some years back. I've had enough guide dogs to know all about the days of yank and yell, and I can assure you that today's methods of positive reinforcement are far more effective and less stressful on everyone.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am giving the book 3 stars because it wasn't horrible. I was looking for a dog book and picked up this one based solely on the cover. The photo is by animal photographer Amanda Jones. It is a fine, clear photograph of the dog in the book, Casey. It is the rare great cover photo.

When the author tells people that he is making a road trip with his dog and writing a book about it, they say "Like John Steinbeck and Travels with Charley? His answer was "Yes. Except, about dogs." Which he probably thought was funny. It is partly about dogs but at least half of it is about a very neurotic dog owner.

The cover blurbs (I know, I know, they didn't actually read the book) will lead you to believe that the whole book is about "Our dog crazy country" and people who love dogs but a good deal of the book is about how dogs in this country are misused and abused.

While I am not generally a fan of maps in books, there is a neat map of the author's route inside the front and back covers.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a dog lover, I found some of the facts and characters mentioned in this journey around the US following the path of dog-related venues to be really interesting. I learned more about: dogs on reservations, dogs used for therapies, differences in how to train dogs, the usual American way of treating dogs a small humans, and just enjoying the trip and stops, and the insights into how dogs act, and how we treat them. Also as the book told the story of East St Louis being such a difficult place for humans and dogs to live, I feel sure that it's not a place where I'd go to visit.

[Jackson Ca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book, some slow places but overall loved the different feelings you get from this book. From the streets of Chicago to the dog parks of New York. And loved Denizet's take on the first person look at his travels with real world experience. From talking about his romantic life, his time with a psychologist, the different people he met on his journey, Casey's feelings, the relationship with his parents, the Facebook updates, etc. Loved this book.

[Nanci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was different than I thought it would be, but outside of some of the very sad facts and stories concerning dog welfare, I found it to be a delightful read full of interesting facts and stories and fun places to be sure to visit. We were fortunate enough to travel cross country in a rented RV a little over one year ago, and this reminded me of all the fun we had seeing so many parts of the United States. Fast read and recommend it to anyone who loves dogs and travel!

[Steven Gauthier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost 4 stars. There’s much to like in this story.
My reservations are not with Casey; they’re with Benoit, the author, who admits he’s no Steinbeck, and is not a wholly trustworthy protagonist.

He admits to breaking a few doggy rules (ignoring No Dog Signs, letting Casey run unleashed in leash areas, leaving the dog cooped in the RV on hot days. He’s amused by his dog humping other dogs at parks. If he admits and rationalizes these, I must wonder what he left out.

[Kimberly Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this journalistic approach to traveling around America in search of dogs and all things-dog-ish. The author did his homework and I learned a lot of little tidbits about dogs that I never knew. I liked how he weaved his personal battles and opinions into the narrative, and while I didn’t always share his worldview, it was interesting and compelling.