The Boy and the Dog

Winner of the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation Translation Prize

“A most extraordinary novel . . . An instant classic . . . It feels like The Odyssey . . . but from a dog’s point of view. . . . It really stays with you.” ―NPR’s Dog Talk

“Sure, you may have read a dog-finding-their-way-home story before, but this one is special. . . . [The dog] enchants and helps each of his temporary owners on his way home, and we imagine he’ll do the same for you.” ―Shondaland

“Moving . . . Dog lovers will need no encouragement to pick [it] up.” ―The Sydney Morning Herald

“A delightful read. It’s heartbreaking, it’s funny, it’s sad―it really covers all of the emotions. . . . It’s an incredible novel—I really loved every moment of it.” ―Christopher Hermelin, So Many Damn Books (podcast)

“Much like the love of our dogs, this fable about a lost dog and his epic journey to find home is a gift to us all.” ―Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Celebrants

“A remarkable story of the transformative power of a dog. Like a figure from myth or fable, the dog inspires in the very flawed humans he encounters a desire for a new life, a new chance—and he just may do the same for you.” —Susan Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of One Good Dog

“A must read for any dog lover, this story of companionship, perseverance, and an incredible journey to find a long-lost friend speaks to our canine counterparts’ innate ability to sense the times of our deepest need.” —Ben Moon, author of Denali: A Man, a Dog, and the Friendship of a Lifetime

“A highly original and unsentimental novel about the powerful bond between humans and dogs.” ―Helen Humphreys, author of And a Dog Called Fig

“A preternaturally intelligent dog, but lost all the same, in a tsunami-ravaged Japan, is called many names by many people. Lose yourself in this story of a dog finding his way home, and in the stories of the lives he changes. No one stays the same, least of all the reader.” ―Michelle Latiolais, author of Even Now, Widow, and She

“Heartwarming and suspenseful, detailing true resilience and survival.” ―Belfast Telegraph

“A moving account of a lost dog . . . Inspiring . . . Life-affirming.” —AsiaOne

“Its plain and honest prose . . . allows you to fill in the spaces with your own lived experience, especially if you’ve had a lasting bond with a beloved animal who profoundly changed your life.” —The Waterloo Region Record

“Heartrending . . . Powerfully demonstrates how love and loyalty can overcome obstacles . . . and how a dog’s love can save a person in every possible way.” ―Booklist

“Affecting . . . Moving . . . Never feels sentimental or overdrawn . . . [Seishu Hase] proves himself a gifted storyteller.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Heartbreakingly moving in its simplicity . . . A touching meditation on shining lights in the face of trauma and hopelessness.” ―Kirkus Reviews