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Bounty: a memoir of friendship, MS and the dog that changed everything
“A testament to friendship, illness and the love of a good dog. Everyone who has faced illness will recognise themselves here.” Astrid Edwards, Chair of Judges for 2025 Stella Prize
At fifty, Libby has spent years concealing the impact of multiple sclerosis, increasingly viewing life from the sidelines. When her childhood friend Emma persuades her to adopt a headstrong rescue dog, Libby has no idea how profoundly the decision will reshape them both.
As Libby struggles to manage Bounty’s exuberance, she is drawn into a local dog-park community and meets extraordinary people, including Maina, who is living with advanced multiple sclerosis. Confronted with a future she would rather not imagine, Libby retreats. But Bounty, relentless and unyielding, leads her back.
When Emma reveals her own devastating diagnosis, their roles are abruptly reversed. Libby must find the strength to become the friend Emma now needs—with Bounty as her unlikely guide.
Told with warmth and candour, Bounty explores friendship, illness and the healing power of a very determined dog.
At fifty, Libby has spent years concealing the impact of multiple sclerosis, increasingly viewing life from the sidelines. When her childhood friend Emma persuades her to adopt a headstrong rescue dog, Libby has no idea how profoundly the decision will reshape them both.
As Libby struggles to manage Bounty’s exuberance, she is drawn into a local dog-park community and meets extraordinary people, including Maina, who is living with advanced multiple sclerosis. Confronted with a future she would rather not imagine, Libby retreats. But Bounty, relentless and unyielding, leads her back.
When Emma reveals her own devastating diagnosis, their roles are abruptly reversed. Libby must find the strength to become the friend Emma now needs—with Bounty as her unlikely guide.
Told with warmth and candour, Bounty explores friendship, illness and the healing power of a very determined dog.
250 pages, Paperback
Published May 26, 2026
About the author
Elizabeth Lancaster
2 books6 followersElizabeth is a Sydney-based author. She began her working life as an occupational therapist but changed direction after attending a writing course in New York City, while living there with her husband and two children. After a shock diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, writing would provide a lifeline.
Elizabeth’s first book, Marzipan and Magnolias, depicting her complex relationship with her idiosyncratic mother, and the onset of MS, won the inaugural Finch Memoir Prize.
Her second book, Bounty: A Memoir of Friendship, MS and the Dog That Changed Everything, takes her story in an unexpected direction. When a headstrong rescue dog storms into her life, he pulls her back into the world. Bounty leads her to a hidden dog-park community where her own assumptions about disability and belonging are challenged. This is a story of friendship, loss and the surprising ways life can open up.
Elizabeth lives in Sydney with her husband.
Elizabeth’s first book, Marzipan and Magnolias, depicting her complex relationship with her idiosyncratic mother, and the onset of MS, won the inaugural Finch Memoir Prize.
Her second book, Bounty: A Memoir of Friendship, MS and the Dog That Changed Everything, takes her story in an unexpected direction. When a headstrong rescue dog storms into her life, he pulls her back into the world. Bounty leads her to a hidden dog-park community where her own assumptions about disability and belonging are challenged. This is a story of friendship, loss and the surprising ways life can open up.
Elizabeth lives in Sydney with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
EDITORIAL REVIEW
12th April 2026
TITLE: Bounty
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Lancaster
Star Rating: 5
“There’s a wonderful warmth to this memoir which took me by surprise; a warmth that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading it.” The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
Oh my, this memoir (written in the style of a novel) is good. Elizabeth Lancaster, if I met you now, I’d tell you, you can write. And trust me when I say, that’s a rare talent. She did a wonderful job with the two central characters, Libby (Elizabeth) and Emma, and also with the secondary characters – including the dog, Bounty, who (a) is a handful and (b) I loved. It’s the story of a woman living with MS who, with a little encouragement from her pal, Emma, gets a dog. As a result, she ends up attending the local dog-park community where she meets all manner of characters, many of them exuberant and highly unforgettable.
There’s so much to enjoy here. Firstly, I did love the writing style. There’s an excellent balance between plot development and character development. As a result, there’s never a dull moment. Secondly, what happens to Emma was a shock – a well-handled shock – and how Libby (and the dog) help her in so many ways was very touching. Thirdly, it’s such a ‘comfy’ sort of read; the sort you curl up with on the sofa with a glass of wine. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll come away with a sense of humility; of knowing, even with MS, you can do so much. And you can be so much more than the illness which afflicts you.
I’m delighted to recommend this memoir to anybody who enjoys a character-led story. And dogs. You sort of have to like dogs. Fans of Debra Lee Won't Break by Katherine Pickett I think would particularly enjoy this book.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
EDITORIAL REVIEW
12th April 2026
TITLE: Bounty
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Lancaster
Star Rating: 5
“There’s a wonderful warmth to this memoir which took me by surprise; a warmth that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading it.” The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
Oh my, this memoir (written in the style of a novel) is good. Elizabeth Lancaster, if I met you now, I’d tell you, you can write. And trust me when I say, that’s a rare talent. She did a wonderful job with the two central characters, Libby (Elizabeth) and Emma, and also with the secondary characters – including the dog, Bounty, who (a) is a handful and (b) I loved. It’s the story of a woman living with MS who, with a little encouragement from her pal, Emma, gets a dog. As a result, she ends up attending the local dog-park community where she meets all manner of characters, many of them exuberant and highly unforgettable.
There’s so much to enjoy here. Firstly, I did love the writing style. There’s an excellent balance between plot development and character development. As a result, there’s never a dull moment. Secondly, what happens to Emma was a shock – a well-handled shock – and how Libby (and the dog) help her in so many ways was very touching. Thirdly, it’s such a ‘comfy’ sort of read; the sort you curl up with on the sofa with a glass of wine. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll come away with a sense of humility; of knowing, even with MS, you can do so much. And you can be so much more than the illness which afflicts you.
I’m delighted to recommend this memoir to anybody who enjoys a character-led story. And dogs. You sort of have to like dogs. Fans of Debra Lee Won't Break by Katherine Pickett I think would particularly enjoy this book.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A beautiful and memorable memoir.
I'm very interested in reading medical memoirs, and hadn't read one about MS before. I had no idea of the signs and symptoms of this disease. I didn't know there are different types. I didn't know there are treatments-or indeed if any of them were effective in any way. All this is covered. Plus, with that gorgeous dog on the cover, I couldn't resist diving into it! Even from the author's intro, this was so easy to read.
Libby had kept her symptoms and eventual diagnosis from many people. Emma, her friend from childhood, had been one of the few who had known right from the beginning.
As well as the medical stuff, Elizabeth Lancaster's memoir tells of adopting rescue dog Bounty. Bounty's antics made me smile. What a wonderful little character he is. It was heartwarming hearing about Bounty's mischievous ways.
A wonderful mix: Medical, rescuing a dog, travels. So interesting. Some warm and wonderful memories. There are friendships with other dog owners who meet whilst walking their pets in the park. The park becomes important not just to Bounty, but just as much to Elizabeth. The park and all who went there would prove to be a tremendous support; for all of them to each other. This was such a joy to read. What I thought might be mostly sad, and bad times, had a lot of positivity. At some points, there were tears in my eyes, of joy, it's so beautiful, the connection between her and this delightful doggie. Beautiful.
An incredible memoir. It's not just about herself, it's about her friends, Emma too, and of course Bounty. Absolutely 5 stars.
I'm very interested in reading medical memoirs, and hadn't read one about MS before. I had no idea of the signs and symptoms of this disease. I didn't know there are different types. I didn't know there are treatments-or indeed if any of them were effective in any way. All this is covered. Plus, with that gorgeous dog on the cover, I couldn't resist diving into it! Even from the author's intro, this was so easy to read.
Libby had kept her symptoms and eventual diagnosis from many people. Emma, her friend from childhood, had been one of the few who had known right from the beginning.
As well as the medical stuff, Elizabeth Lancaster's memoir tells of adopting rescue dog Bounty. Bounty's antics made me smile. What a wonderful little character he is. It was heartwarming hearing about Bounty's mischievous ways.
A wonderful mix: Medical, rescuing a dog, travels. So interesting. Some warm and wonderful memories. There are friendships with other dog owners who meet whilst walking their pets in the park. The park becomes important not just to Bounty, but just as much to Elizabeth. The park and all who went there would prove to be a tremendous support; for all of them to each other. This was such a joy to read. What I thought might be mostly sad, and bad times, had a lot of positivity. At some points, there were tears in my eyes, of joy, it's so beautiful, the connection between her and this delightful doggie. Beautiful.
An incredible memoir. It's not just about herself, it's about her friends, Emma too, and of course Bounty. Absolutely 5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Get this, from the intro, and tell me you're not hooked on Lancaster's memoir already:
Elizabeth Lancaster writes beautifully. In this thoughtful memoir she manages to weave into a confluent narrative her own multiple sclerosis story, her friend's cancer and the addition to her family's life of Bounty - a ratbag of a rescue Yorkie cross (perhaps). Add to that a local, almost ethereal dog park she stumbles upon one day, desperate to wear down Bounty's chaotic, loopy energy, and the new, unexpected friendships that ensue.
Highly recommended for dog lovers, anyone with an interest in MS or cancer, and anyone with friends.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I thought I saw Emma today. When I was leaving the park around sunset, there was a woman ahead of me, rounding the corner into the lane. As she glanced back over her shoulder, I almost called out to her, but I caught myself. That’s happened a lot lately. [...]
I don’t know why this is happening now; Emma died nearly three years ago. And of all places to imagine I’ve seen her – in this dog park, tucked away at the end of a narrow lane? Emma had barely believed the park existed, at least not my version of it. Yet she was the one who had encouraged me to get a dog, and in so doing, had set off this strange sequence of events.
Elizabeth Lancaster writes beautifully. In this thoughtful memoir she manages to weave into a confluent narrative her own multiple sclerosis story, her friend's cancer and the addition to her family's life of Bounty - a ratbag of a rescue Yorkie cross (perhaps). Add to that a local, almost ethereal dog park she stumbles upon one day, desperate to wear down Bounty's chaotic, loopy energy, and the new, unexpected friendships that ensue.
Highly recommended for dog lovers, anyone with an interest in MS or cancer, and anyone with friends.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
May 26, 2026
This is a memoir about chronic illness and how to meet it. As someone with similar bodily limitations I am struck by the wisdom of the book, 'Bounty: a memoir of friendship, MS and the dog that changed everything' by Elizabeth Lancaster, and published by Vine Leaves Press is a treasure.
There seems to me to be a sliding scale of ways one can face debilitating conditions. The first is the condition controls you. You feel bad, you stop, lay down, wait it out. The other end of the scale—you fight every step of the way, refuse to stop, refuse to give in. Then there's negotiation.
For me the brilliance of this book is the way in which the author negotiates her life with her illness. In the book, the dog Bounty, becomes a kind of metaphor for that process. At first Bounty forces Elizabeth out to the park. Later she finally wrests some semblance of power balance with Bounty, much to both their well being. It's what she does with the illness too.
If I had to encapsulate this book, I'd say something like "proof of the power of community." Her friendship with Emma, her struggle and love of her dog Bounty, the friends she finds at the dog park, many of whom are also chronically ill, her husband, Emma's children, they all play a part in her survival, and her return to relative mobility.
It's an astoundingly supportive, helpful and kind book. I recommend it heartily.
There seems to me to be a sliding scale of ways one can face debilitating conditions. The first is the condition controls you. You feel bad, you stop, lay down, wait it out. The other end of the scale—you fight every step of the way, refuse to stop, refuse to give in. Then there's negotiation.
For me the brilliance of this book is the way in which the author negotiates her life with her illness. In the book, the dog Bounty, becomes a kind of metaphor for that process. At first Bounty forces Elizabeth out to the park. Later she finally wrests some semblance of power balance with Bounty, much to both their well being. It's what she does with the illness too.
If I had to encapsulate this book, I'd say something like "proof of the power of community." Her friendship with Emma, her struggle and love of her dog Bounty, the friends she finds at the dog park, many of whom are also chronically ill, her husband, Emma's children, they all play a part in her survival, and her return to relative mobility.
It's an astoundingly supportive, helpful and kind book. I recommend it heartily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.75⭐️ rounded up
A thoughtful, highly readable memoir exploring chronic illness, mortality, friendship, and the communities that help carry us.
What struck me most was Libby’s connection to the dog park community: that sense of finding a world apart, almost magical in its own way, where companionship and routine became part of healing. The relationships in this story, both human and animal, are what give it its heart.
As someone deeply involved in dog rescue, I especially enjoyed reading about Bounty’s adventures and the role he played in Libby’s changing life, though readers expecting a strongly dog-centered story may find his presence lighter than anticipated.
I also noted a few medical details that felt questionable in my early copy, though that may have been addressed prior to publication.
Overall o found the story to be a compelling reflection on living with Multiple Sclerosis, cancer, grief, and the ways community can shape resilience and recovery. If you’re drawn to memoirs about illness, friendship, and perseverance, this is worth picking up.
Thank you to Vine Leaves Press for the early copy for review.
A thoughtful, highly readable memoir exploring chronic illness, mortality, friendship, and the communities that help carry us.
What struck me most was Libby’s connection to the dog park community: that sense of finding a world apart, almost magical in its own way, where companionship and routine became part of healing. The relationships in this story, both human and animal, are what give it its heart.
As someone deeply involved in dog rescue, I especially enjoyed reading about Bounty’s adventures and the role he played in Libby’s changing life, though readers expecting a strongly dog-centered story may find his presence lighter than anticipated.
I also noted a few medical details that felt questionable in my early copy, though that may have been addressed prior to publication.
Overall o found the story to be a compelling reflection on living with Multiple Sclerosis, cancer, grief, and the ways community can shape resilience and recovery. If you’re drawn to memoirs about illness, friendship, and perseverance, this is worth picking up.
Thank you to Vine Leaves Press for the early copy for review.
June 19, 2026
The title Bounty sums up this memoir. It’s a book brimming with generosity and Elizabeth Lancaster has given her readers a true gift. Her prose is seamless, smart, witty and this memoir has an unputdownable quality. Her narrative is about the generosity of others, friends, new and old, and how we all need connection, especially in our darkest times of isolation, illness and grief. Sometimes salvation comes to us in the most unusual and unexpected ways. In the memoir, Bounty, the spirited rescue dog, is the catalyst for the story. Encouraged by her friend Emma to get a dog, Bounty leads Elizabeth into the world of the local dog park where she joins a community of dogs and their owners and learns about herself in the process. Elizabeth and Emma’s narratives are intertwined through Bounty and trace the genuine meaning of friendship.
Review of advance copy
This story is about the love of a dog called Bounty, the love of family and the love of friends with a backdrop of Multiple Sclerosis. With humanity and humour, the reader is taken to London, West Berlin, New York and a local dog park in Turramurra, Sydney. It is a story of denial of an unpredictable disease and symptoms that temporarily take away the author’s mobility, taste, smell and vision. As her dog Bounty bounds into her life and relishes the mobility, tastes, smells of the dog park, Libby’s life opens up. The lifelong friendship with Emma is pivotal in the book and is beautifully described along with her health challenges. It is a journey brilliantly told which left me feeling that friendship, furry or otherwise, is magical.
Review of advance copy received from Author
‘Bounty’ is a heartfelt exploration of the vagaries of Life and what it means to be human.
It is a close examination of what we bring and give to each other in times of life’s most daunting challenges as it follows the journey of two life-long friends as they both confront serious medical issues.
Tying the novel together is Bounty, a rescue dog, who eventually rescues the author from social isolation and helps her navigate the emotional landscape ahead.
Yet the story is told with a light and quirky humour as Bounty’s amusing antics and comical character captivate the reader.
The novel is engaging and affirmative, leaving the reader with a smile…and a tear.
It is a close examination of what we bring and give to each other in times of life’s most daunting challenges as it follows the journey of two life-long friends as they both confront serious medical issues.
Tying the novel together is Bounty, a rescue dog, who eventually rescues the author from social isolation and helps her navigate the emotional landscape ahead.
Yet the story is told with a light and quirky humour as Bounty’s amusing antics and comical character captivate the reader.
The novel is engaging and affirmative, leaving the reader with a smile…and a tear.
Review of advance copy
A beautiful, moving memoir about the friendships that hold us together when life feels uncertain. The author describes her bond with Emma as “two strands of a double helix, interweaving and diverging, sometimes in eerie echoes of each other” - two lives distinct yet inseparable, shaped by illness, joy, and the unexpected comfort of a dog. It finds grace in the small, coincidental moments that make you wonder whether life is more connected than we realise.
Review of advance copy
Both a heart breaking and heart warming memoir of friendship, MS and her dog. Follows this author's story of MS and the friendships she makes at the local park, as well as the ongoing friendship of her best friend, Emma. Really well told and a highly recommended read. Loved it. I was lucky enough to read an advance copy and leave this review willingly.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A tender and powerful memoir of love, friendship and community. Elizabeth Lancaster matches inciteful intelligence with candid honesty and a light touch of humour even in life’s most challenging and overwhelming times. Unsentimental yet deeply moving and reflective, Bounty is a memoir full of a profound sense of hope.
Suzanne Estella April 2026
May 26, 2026
I loved this memoir and the invitation it delivered to become a part of a group of friends and neighbors. Lancaster has written a heartwarming story that weaves together the essential strands of our humanity: friendship, family, loss and of course, dogs. It is at times humorous while also tender and deep. Thank you Elizabeth for writing this beautiful story.
June 21, 2026
This is the story of a spirited West Highland Terrier called Bounty who, like his namesake, proves to be a gift but in unexpected ways. He comes into Libby’s life at the urging of her friend Emma, and opens up a new world of community and connection through an off-leash dog community Libby discovers at the end of the lane near her house.
Libby’s life-long friendship with Emma is central to this memoir. Their bond spans school, travel, careers and marriages. Emma is Libby’s confidante, the only person apart from her immediate family, who Libby trusts with her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. There is another devastating diagnosis they have to weather together.
I especially enjoyed the dog park scenes. Libby describes going to the park as crossing into another more vivid, boisterous world. ‘Like a doggie version of Narnia.’ It’s nearly too much for her at first but Bounty fits right in. There she meets a quirky group of human and doggie personalities and discovers a surprising connection.
Bounty is a story about the power of relationships and connection in our lives. Told with Libby’s trademark humour that makes you laugh, it sets up a heart-wrenching finale.
Libby’s life-long friendship with Emma is central to this memoir. Their bond spans school, travel, careers and marriages. Emma is Libby’s confidante, the only person apart from her immediate family, who Libby trusts with her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. There is another devastating diagnosis they have to weather together.
I especially enjoyed the dog park scenes. Libby describes going to the park as crossing into another more vivid, boisterous world. ‘Like a doggie version of Narnia.’ It’s nearly too much for her at first but Bounty fits right in. There she meets a quirky group of human and doggie personalities and discovers a surprising connection.
Bounty is a story about the power of relationships and connection in our lives. Told with Libby’s trademark humour that makes you laugh, it sets up a heart-wrenching finale.
Review of advance copy
I loved this book. I had thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth's first book, Marzipan and Magnolias, and always hoped we might find out more about what happened in the following years. This warm, gentle, and honest memoir was a delight. Elizabeth's honest telling of her travails with progressing MS and the role a rescue dog can play were heart-warming, but her vulnerability in speaking of the magical thinking that was the real joy. The introduction of new friends, old friends and another devastating diagnosis made this story hard to put down - I read it in one sitting. Don't miss it.
Review of advance copy
I loved this heartwarming and beautifully written story of a woman diagnosed with MS who adopts a fuzzy white dog (who is sometimes naughty, especially on dog park outings). The voice is warm and friendly, and witnessing how her dog Bounty forces her out of her shell and expands her social circle is a central part of the theme. Because dogs, right? It's impossible not to warm up to the people the author meets, the friendships she forges. While reading this, I wanted to call her up, invite her out for a dog walk and meet all of the people she engages with. It's that kind of book.
I highly, highly recommend this one.
Thanks to Vine Leaves Press for the advanced copy.
I highly, highly recommend this one.
Thanks to Vine Leaves Press for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Beautiful, Heart-wrenching, Memorable
I devoured this beautiful story in almost one sitting, as waves of nostalgia stirred something deep inside me. Elizabeth’s childhood stories took me back to my own Sydney childhood with friends I still have today. I laughed at Bounty’s antics, the mischievous, lovable rescue dog who became an anchor in her life and proved exactly what she needed. Even I fell in love with him. Her unexpected connection with the dog park community was so relatable; our local area has a similar one. Libby’s friendship with Emma made me long for friendships I’ve lost along the way. I want to pick up the phone while I still can… Elizabeth’s story of her MS weaves an intricate pattern throughout. Emma and Bounty, as it turns out, are catalysts for her defiant acceptance, proof that love and friendship have no bounds.
Superb writing! Elizabeth’s storytelling will leave a lasting impression on your heart long after you turn the last page. I wept when I closed the book, and I don’t often cry over books. It’s a truly brilliant read.
I devoured this beautiful story in almost one sitting, as waves of nostalgia stirred something deep inside me. Elizabeth’s childhood stories took me back to my own Sydney childhood with friends I still have today. I laughed at Bounty’s antics, the mischievous, lovable rescue dog who became an anchor in her life and proved exactly what she needed. Even I fell in love with him. Her unexpected connection with the dog park community was so relatable; our local area has a similar one. Libby’s friendship with Emma made me long for friendships I’ve lost along the way. I want to pick up the phone while I still can… Elizabeth’s story of her MS weaves an intricate pattern throughout. Emma and Bounty, as it turns out, are catalysts for her defiant acceptance, proof that love and friendship have no bounds.
Superb writing! Elizabeth’s storytelling will leave a lasting impression on your heart long after you turn the last page. I wept when I closed the book, and I don’t often cry over books. It’s a truly brilliant read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews