The Hour of the Wolf: A Memoir

by Fatima Bhutto

From acclaimed journalist and novelist Fatima Bhutto, whose work has been hailed as “intense and powerful” (NPR), comes a searing, intimate memoir of grief, heartbreak, and what we owe the natural world—all learned from the dog who saved her life.

Fatima Bhutto was a teenager when her beloved father was assassinated. Ever since, she longed for a complete and happy family. Years later, still grappling with profound grief, she meets a charismatic man who offers her a new beginning—promising love, healing, and the children she’s always dreamed of. But the dream soon unravels, revealing a toxic, manipulative relationship that holds her captive for over a decade.

By the spring of 2020, Fatima finds herself secluded in the English countryside, accompanied by her most loyal Coco, a fiercely protective Jack Russell terrier. In the presence of nature and Coco’s unwavering devotion, Fatima begins to question everything—and slowly finds the courage to confront her suffering and reclaim her voice.

In The Hour of the Wolf, Bhutto weaves reflections on love, loss, and healing with poignant memories of family, a yearning for motherhood, and meditations on literature, cinema, art, politics, and the wild world around her. Heartbreaking yet hopeful, this kaleidoscopic memoir is a testament to resilience, self-acceptance, and the restorative power of friendship—especially that of one small, brave dog.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 27, 2026

About the author

Fatima Bhutto studied at Columbia University, and the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Her work has appeared in The Daily Beast,
New Statesman, and other publications. She was a featured panelist at the 2010
Daily Beast Women in the World Summit, and has been featured on NPRs Morning Edition, CNN, and in the pages of Marie Claire. She currently lives in Karachi.
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Reviews

[Taylor G · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

ARC giveaway recipient review

Beautiful chapters that could mostly be stand alone shorts.

[Valerie Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love when this went into the bond between men and dogs that has been around for thousands of years and that as long as dogs exist, we will never be lonely tied with how lonely "The Man" made her feel and the solace she found in her dog, however I felt there was not enough substance there to sustain a whole book so multiple times in went into the history of deer, climate change, and Covid which only felt loosely related to the rest of the story. I did really like the writing style and multiple lines made me nod my head since truer words could not be spoken, but I wish it stayed on the topic that intrigued me to this story in the first place

[Faïza · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I have sat with grief too long in my life. But something changed for me in the wake of this loss. I decided that I wouldn't live any longer as a servant of fear and sadness. I learned to let go."

A nicely written, bite-sized memoir which makes us reflect on life, particularly on our relationship with animals. It’s deeply honest. Informative, too. But I can’t say I found it very engaging; I suppose most of its themes didn’t really interest me—toxic relationships, the need for motherhood, signs from the universe, dogs (yeah, I should definitely read the summary properly next time)—though I’m glad the author eventually reached for the happiness she deserves. And I’m sure her text will help readers in similar situations.

Thanks to Scribner via NetGalley for the ARC!

[J R · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderfully well written memoir with impressive writing that just grips you from page 1. Bhutto's story is really well told. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Riley (runtobooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

• when fatima was a teenager, her father was assassinated. dealing with the grief of his loss, she enters a relationship with a charismatic man who turns out to be abusive & toxic – a relationship that lasts for over a decade. when covid hits in 2020, she finds herself secluded in the english countryside with coco, her overly protective jack russell terrier. it’s in this setting that she begins to question the decisions she made in her life, and find the courage to confront her relationship head on and find her voice again in the process.
• this is such an unflinching look at grief in many forms, as well as the potentials of motherhood when you don’t feel quite ready yet. it’s about writing & literature & art, and finding yourself when you need to be your own best friend. i loved it.
• this is a book for dog lovers. the scenes between fatima and coco are so tender, especially as coco struggles to have a pup family of her own.