The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love

by Alice Hoffman

Fifteen beloved authors celebrate the life-changing bond with their canine companions in this heartwarming essay collection edited by New York Times bestselling author and lifelong dog lover Alice Hoffman.

Anyone who has ever been fortunate enough to share their life with a dog knows the experience is both profound and transformative. Here, in this charming collection of essays, fifteen celebrated authors share unforgettable tales of the dogs who left their pawprints on their hearts.

With contributions from Chris Bohjalian, Roxane Gay, Emily Henry, Ann Leary, Tova Mirvis, Jodi Picoult, Elizabeth Strout, Amy Tan, Adriana Trigiani, Nick Trout, and Laura Zigman, The Dog Who Changed My Life captures the full range of the canine-human connection, from the joy of welcoming a new puppy to the heartache of saying goodbye to a beloved friend.

A love letter to the loyal companions who enrich our lives and teach us about empathy, joy, and unconditional love, this anthology is the perfect gift for dog lovers everywhere, offering a blend of laughter, tears, and inspiration that will resonate with anyone who has been fur-ever touched by the love of a dog.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Animals, Short Stories

240 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 10, 2026

About the author

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew; The Marriage of Opposites; The Red Garden; The Museum of Extraordinary Things; The Dovekeepers; Here on Earth, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and the Practical Magic series, including Practical
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.

Reviews

[Kelsey S · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many tears will you cry while reading this book? Let's just say keep your tissues handy and your pet close by to help you through some of these beautiful stories.

I never want to talk to people that don't believe that animals are the best things on this planet... and as a dog-lover, this book hit the right spots. What I loved was the variety of breeds, backstories, and takes on each dog. They are all love stories, but not all of them started that way.

What I think most people will also enjoy is an introduction to these different authors. You get a good feel for someone by listening about the dog/dogs that shaped them the most.

I cannot wait to gift this to my dog-lover friends. I only wish it came out before the holidays so I could spread the love that much quicker.

Many thanks, treats, and pats on the head to NetGalley, Scribner, and all of the authors for an advanced e-copy of this book. PLEASE check this out when it hits shelves on March 10, 2026!
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Gonna buddy read this with my dog. 🐶 🐾

[Meredith Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you, like me, have ever loved a dog before, then this book is for you. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming. You will sob one chapter and laugh out loud the next. You will feel so deeply the joy, the grief, and the purest love that these fourteen authors share with us. Nothing compares to the bond we share with our dogs. They are our soulmates. And it is such a gift to experience and share that unconditional love and loyalty.

Thank you Alice Hoffman for putting together this wonderful little book. I know I will be gifting it (with a box of tissues) to all of my friends with dogs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection full of heart and tears. Had to read with a Kleenex box by my side. If ever you have loved a dog, this book is for you!

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss + for the review copy. Some great authors in here and some awesome dogs.

[carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

the love of a dog is something truly unconditional. if you have the privilege of ever knowing it, you’ll find it’s the kind that it settles deep in your bones and gives you rich stories to tell. the honesty and vulnerability captured in this collection of essays acts as kindling for own memories, allowing it to deeply resonate. in this format of sharing love, both new and old, and grief for our beloved companions, we also have the privilege of connecting with and discovering new authors and storytellers. with my experience, i find that these essays are best read with a box of tissues, an open heart, and a dog by your side.

thank you so much to netgalley and scribner for this arc!

[Vmndetta (or V!) ᛑᛗᛛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essays about dogs by different authors about their dogs and meaningful experiences they shared. Reading this book made me feel something warm and comforting, seeing the bond between each author and their dog. Dogs, it turns out, are than just companions, they are family.

I read this book quickly and felt deeply immersed in every essay. Each one left an impression and had something special to offer. One thing I especially loved about this book was the art photos of the dogs before each chapter, which made it easier for me, as someone who's not very familiar with dogs, to picture them alongside the story. A truly memorable book and one that shouldn't be missed.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

ThankThank you to the Goodreads Book Giveaway and Scribner for gifting me this copy of such an extraordinary collection.

Let me prepare you: the tears will come. I read this entire anthology and loved every single essay. The authors included here are masters of their craft, and page after page you’re reminded exactly why dogs have earned the title of humankind’s best friends.

Whether your heart belongs to a Shih Tzu or a Newfoundland, a companion Cocker Spaniel, a service Golden Retriever, a hardworking Blue Heeler, the shelter pup who chose you, or even the fictional dogs you adored as a child — Snoopy, Clifford, Scooby‑Doo, Bluey — this book taps into that universal truth about how deeply dogs connect with us. And how completely they undo us when they leave.

This collection celebrates every precious moment of their time with us. These writers invite you into their worlds: the instant spark when dog and human meet, the chaos and joy of puppies coming home, the quiet triumph of rescued dogs finding their forever families, and yes, the heartbreak of saying goodbye. The essays hold all of it — the laughter, the grief, the memories that ache and glow at the same time.

This book has it all. The generosity of spirit in these pages, paired with the authors’ skill, will transport you. You’ll laugh out loud, you’ll tear up, and you’ll walk away feeling seen in that very particular way only dog people understand.

It’s a wonderful reminder that the love we share with our furry companions never disappears. It stays with us, and it comes back to us tenfold in the memories that never fade. you to Scribner and Goodreads for this galley arc of Best Dog in the World.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished book November 25, but GR now considers that “before” November 25…..so new GR does not acknowledge that one can start and finish a book on the same day. I really hate new GR.

ARC for review. To be published March 10, 2026.

5 stars

Alice Hoffman is the editor of this volume of fourteen essays about maybe the most wonderful thing in the world…dogs! The writing comes from such heavy hitters as Elizabeth Strout, Amy Tan, Jodi Picoult, Emily Henry and Chris Bohjalian. I loved all the essays and cried at “Dottie” by Henry where she makes some profound statements about the loss of a dog, for example, “[it was] like the house had died around me, like she was the soul who animated it.” “Dottie” hit me hard; when I read it I was just a few weeks out from having lost my soulmate dog and as I sit here typing this review, from my notes, my husband and I have just returned from having the last of our three dogs put to sleep. Sidney Marie, a rescue from our local animal shelter, was a dachshund/chihuahua mix (according to our vet. She would have been seventeen in January. She was named after Pittsburgh hockey player Sidney Crosby (by my husband.). She survived parvovirus which she got at the shelter, but unfortunately her littermate, Jerome (after Bettis,) we adopted him too) did not. She will be much missed.

Back to the book. “Dottie” was the only hard essay, most were very happy. More along the lines of author Paul Yoon’s wife’s answer to what living with his dog meant - “unbridled joy.” I adored this. A perfect gift for yourself or a canine lover.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Best dog in the world is a great book for dog lovers, especially dog lovers that are readers as we get glimpses of the hearts of fourteen favorite authors. as in any essay collection, some touched me more than others, but I did need tissues for a few, and I need to warn you as these are essays about dogs that touched these authors lives, sometimes the dogs die.

Some of my favorite essays were from those authors that were professed non dog people, until that one dog touched their heart. I found myself closely identifying with Chris Bohjalian as he notes that strangers rarely talk to each other, but strangers often talk to strangers with dogs, and his realization that his dog taught him to be more present in the moment. I found myself wishing that Vet and author Nick Trout was not only my vet but my personal surgeon, when he so willing took responsibility for a surgery that did not go quite right and who so obviously cared for every patient that came through his doors.

If you are an animal lover looking for a short yet heartwarming book I highly recommend this one. Thank you to net galley and scribner for the e galley of of this book.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Best Dog in the World is a pensive compilation of short stories written by some of literature’s most celebrated authors. Each story recalls a dog who has touched and made a significant impact on the respective authors life. Each vignette is a glimpse into the magic that only dogs possess, and how these creatures (who do not speak our language) understand us in a way most people cannot.

As a dog person, I found myself nodding along when reading about the joys, frustrations, and wonder that comes with loving a dog. I also felt my heart breaking at the stories where the author had to say goodbye to their steadfast companion. And though I could relate to the stories, the brevity of them left me wanting more. Overall, an enjoyable, albeit short, read.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars

[Jg · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Hoffman’s introduction and the first story I realized I need tissues. Lots of tissues. Animals are better than people, and people who are owned by animals know this. These stories by well- known authors highlight that fact. There is love and loss, pain and redemption while definitely knowing although they are with us for too short a time, they’ve taught us life lessons through unconditional love, and we are so lucky to have known and lived with our pets. A book to savor and give to all your friends.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of essays is a thoroughly beautiful tribute to the love of dogs. This will leave you weeping your way through your walk with your dog, lovingly remembering your childhood dog, and mourning the loss of a stranger’s dog. Receiving love from a dog is such a gift to our lives, and these essays encapsulated that perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing this
ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bevy of well-esteemed writers have contributed essays about their dogs: the experience of getting a dog when you've never had one before, the careful way the person and the dog size each other up, the love and loyalty that grows. It's a charming and sometimes heartbreaking collection. Review from e-galley.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of beautiful stories from authors about the dogs in their lives. This is a great read for any animal lover. There are happy moments, some heartwarming moments, and tearjerker moments in all of these stories, but it is well worth the read.

Thank you, Net Galley and Scribner, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow, but wow. Anyone who has ever shared a home and a life with a dog will love this book.

[Brittany Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. I’m a huge fan of Alice Hoffman and many of the authors who contributed to this book, and an even bigger fan of dogs. Everyone loves to talk about their dog: their quirks, likes and dislikes, weird habits, and origin stories. This book was like chatting with your favorite dog with old friends. Some connected with me more than others (the rescues vs the purebreds) but all were lovely recollections of a dog’s love in a persons life. The highest praise I can give is that I preordered a copy for a dog loving friend.