Dog Days

Described as 'perfect for fans of A MAN CALLED OVE and ELEANOR OLIPHANT' by bestselling author AJ Pearce, and likened by reviewers to SAVING MISSY by Beth Morrey, DOG DAYS is a heartbreaking, heartwarming bookclub read about turning points, new beginnings, and finding friendship in unexpected places.

'Funny, sad, gritty and beautifully told, this story will make you look at life again and appreciate the small acts of kindness that make everything worthwhile.

HAZEL PRIOR, author of Away with the Penguins

A charming, surprising and moving story of three troubled characters' encounter with love, grief, healing.

CLARE CHAMBERS, author of SMALL PLEASURES

'Moving, uplifting, full of charm and warmth, [Dog Days] gave me much paws for thought. Such great characterisation, too - by the end, George, Dan et al felt like family!

EMMA STONEX, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE LAMPLIGHTERS

A Russian doll of a book that twists and tugs each outer husk, revealing delicate and poignant inner layers.

Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant, Ericka Waller's wonderful debut is both laugh out loud funny and immensely moving. Definitely one of my favourite novels of 2021, Dog Days is an absolute delight.

The kind of charm readers will recall from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine... a welcome balm for anxious lockdown minds... the book is gentle but poignant, moving but uplifting, suffused with different kinds of love and loss.

[A] Touching and thoughtful debut novel

Hilarious and moving, it recognises the unconditional love of dogs and their ability to make the world a better place

If you enjoyed Beth Morrey's Saving Missy, you'll love this...both hilarious and moving.

Easy to read and witty but full of pathos and sadness, this tightly plotted tale will bring you joy.

Dog Days is a beautiful novel, filled with poignancy and humour. Ericka Waller looks closely at life with all its ghosts and new beginnings, finding glitter in the dark and hope where there is healing.

Rónán Hession, author of Leonard and Hungry Paul

A beautifully written book... it's very hard to believe it's a debut novel. Ericka Waller peels back the layers of life and delves deep into the highs and lows of mental health, of loss, and of love.'

This was such an emotional read and the perfect mix of humour and heartache

Deftly drawn... a warm debut about loss, healing and making new connections

Weaves together tales of man's best friend helping in the darkest days

Waller's tormented, endearing and intriguing characters cross paths as they walk dogs on the Sussex Downs in a bittersweet, touching novel of waggy tails, wet noses and tear-filled eyes.

A charming novel that focuses on the healing properties of man and woman's best friend

Waller has a lyrical way of weaving words that perfectly encapsulates a feeling or thought ... Funny, sad and reassuringly sage, Dog Days is a story of humanity, family and life.

A glorious read full of love and humour

Combines two total opposites - sorrow and joy. The way Waller makes the two work together is outstanding

A charming novel that focusses on the healing powers of man and woman's best friend

With its tightly plotted twists Dog Days is an exhilarating, at times even vertiginous ride... The mix of human passion and canine good sense works triumphantly..

Ed Stourton, author of Diary of a Dog Walker

'A tender, complicated novel of love, loss and self-discovery.'

SUSAN WILSON, New York Times bestselling author of One Good Dog and What a Dog Knows

An emotional tour-de-force that will leave you with the whole-hearted understanding that dogs really do bring people (even the most unlikely of us) together.

Annie England Noblin, author of Sit, Stay, Speak and Pupcakes

Discover the moving, life-affirming book club read about new beginnings and finding friendship in unexpected places; the perfect gift for dog lovers from the author of Goodbye Birdie Greenwing 
 
'The perfect mix of humour and heartache' Good Housekeeping 
 
'A charming, surprising and moving story' Clare Chambers, bestselling author of Small Pleasures 
 
'Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant...laugh out loud funny and immensely moving' AJ Pearce, bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird 
 
_______________________________________________ 
 
George is angry at the world. His wife has died and now all he wants to do is sit in his underpants and shout at the cricket. The last thing he needs is his cake-baking neighbour Betty trying to rescue him. And then there's the dog, a dachshund puppy called Poppy. George doesn't want a dog - he wants a fight. 
 
Dan is a counsellor with OCD who is great at helping other people - if only he were better at helping himself. His most meaningful relationship so far is with his labrador Fitz. But then comes a therapy session that will change his life. 
 
Lizzie is living in a women's refuge with her son Lenny. Her body is covered in scars and she has shut herself off from everyone around her. But when she is forced to walk the refuge's fat terrier, Maud, a new life beckons - if she can keep her secret just a while longer... 
 
Dog Days is a novel about those small but life-changing moments that only come when we pause to let the light in. It is about three people learning to make connections and find joy and comfort in living life off the leash. 
 
__________________________________________________ 
 
Praise for Dog Days: 
 
 
'Uplifting, full of charm and warmth' Emma Stonex, bestselling author of The Lamplighters 
 
'If you read one book this year, make sure it's this one' 5-star reader review 
 
'A soulful, lyrical tale... a treat.' Beth Morrey, bestselling author of Saving Missy 
 
'Tender, humorous and hopeful' Lissa Evans, author of Small Bomb at Dimperley 
 
'A book with a big heart' 5-star reader review 
 
'Dog Days had me feeling all the emotions, it broke my heart and gently pieced it back together.' 5-star reader review 
 
'Wonderful journey of three complicated characters and the dogs that saw them through their individual journeys' 5-star reader review 
 
'A joy to read from start to finish.' 5-star reader review 
 
'Perfectly shows the true healing power of dogs, and how we are so lucky to have them around us' 5-star reader review

Ericka Waller

A stunning novel following three women, all lost in their own way &hellip; a beautiful portrayal of friendship and hope.

Prepare to shed some tears while reading this gorgeously tender story about friendship and love it all its forms.

A lovely and poignant novel, filled with insight and dry wit. Ericka Waller writes beautifully about the complex love that bonds families and forges the most unlikely of friendships. The painful, funny struggles of the women in this book — mothers, daughters, sisters, neighbours, doctors, patients — will resonate with readers everywhere.

Katherine Heiny, author of Games and Rituals

Oh, the exquisite, tender misfits in Goodbye Birdie Greenwing! I love them all. I love the way loneliness is gathered up into such a delightfully odd community. I love the entire book - so fresh and funny and bright, but with a wild, griefy heartbeat thumping along darkly beneath it all.

Catherine Newman, author of We All Want Impossible Things

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing is one of those books that lingers. Its power lies in incredible characters whose lives it is impossible not to become invested in. I laughed, cried and felt more compassionate for reading it. A triumph.

Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

I read Birdie in 24hrs (not exaggerating) and it absolutely destroyed me! Goodbye Birdie Greenwing absolutely nails being at once extremely funny and incredibly moving. Ericka Waller&rsquo;s voice is so powerful, tender and beautiful. I found the characters and the story so relatable and emotionally compelling that I was hooked from the very first page and couldn't think about anything else until I'd finished reading... I cannot tell you how much I loved it, or how many packs of tissues it cost me. I can see it being enormously popular with book clubs (mine would love it).

Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates

A beautiful book. Exquisitely written, so carefully and tenderly observed, Ericka Waller makes her characters and their lives shine; this is something truly special.

Ericka Waller has knocked it out of the park with Goodbye Birdie Greenwing. This heartwarming, moving celebration of human connection had me invested in every single one of its brilliant characters. It deserves all the stars.

CJ Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches

Every page will reward you with words to live by. A gift of a story.

Tish Delaney, author of The Saint of Lost Things

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing is a book about women coming together in support of one another. It's a book about what it means to be a sister, and a mother, a daughter, and a neighbour. It's a book about long-held secrets and what happens when they come spilling out. But it's more than all of that, too. The prose dazzles on every page. And in Birdie, Jane, and Ava, Ericka Waller has created characters who are bursting with life... They clawed under my skin and left their bleddy footprints all over my heart.

Laura Pearson, author of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont

Phenomenal. One of those rare books that will make you cry with both laughter and sorrow yet leave you feeling utterly uplifted. A beautiful rare treasure of a book that is gorgeous in every way. An absolute must-read. Unforgettable.

Just finished Ericka Waller's Goodbye Birdie Greenwing, and you need to put this on your list now. It is the most heartwarming, charming book I wish I wrote. The characters are richly drawn, and the way Ericka understands so clearly what makes us human and what we universally want just touched me. Birdie is about, simply, the beauty of being alive and making connections.

Ethan Joella, author of The Same Bright Stars

A novel that peeps behind the closed doors of Shrublands Road, Brighton, and finds... life! A tenderly evoked story about the fragility of being human and the strength of being in it together.

What a beautiful, tender, gorgeous and thoughtful book. Ericka has such a gift for writing real people and respecting even the smallest details that make a life. Birdie Greenwing is a heartfelt and hopeful delight of a read... I loved it.

Ilona Bannister, author of When I Ran Away

What a wonderful book this is... moving, it&rsquo;s funny, it&rsquo;s beautifully written and it&rsquo;ll stay with me for a long time.

Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man

Fragility, eccentricity, resilience and love abound in this exquisitely written book

Hazel Prior, author of Love and Otter Miracles

FROM THE BELOVED AUTHOR OF DOG DAYS, THE FUNNY, UPLIFTING NOVEL ABOUT FINDING THE THINGS THAT MATTER... 
 
'A gorgeously tender story about friendship and love in all its forms' Good Housekeeping 
 
'Goodbye Birdie Greenwing is one of those books that lingers... I laughed, cried and felt more compassionate for reading it. A triumph.' Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things 
 
'Oh, the exquisite, tender misfits in Goodbye Birdie Greenwing! I love them all. I love the way loneliness is gathered up into such a delightfully odd community.' Catherine Newman, author of NYT bestseller, Sandwich 
 
'A beautiful, moving, funny, gorgeous novel...this book felt like one huge hug' 5-star reader review 
 
___________ 
 
Welcome to Shrublands Road, please follow the speed limit. 
 
Meet Birdie Greenwing, determined and no-nonsense. Also, lonely and carrying secrets that only her beloved rescue dog knows about. 
 
Ada Kowalski is lonely too. She came to England to help people, but she can’t seem to help herself. 
 
Jane and her daughter Frankie are new to the street, although Jane’s cleaning-obsessive mother Min is never far away. Jane wishes she could be as outspoken as her daughter. What will it take for Jane to finally stand up to everyone? 
 
One life-changing event brings Birdie, Ada and Jane together in ways they never imagined. 
 
But is it ever too late to begin again? 
 
_______ 
 
Praise for Goodbye Birdie Greenwing: 
 
'A stunning novel following three women, all lost in their own way...a beautiful portrayal of friendship and hope.' Woman & Home 
 
'Extremely funny and incredibly moving' Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates 
 
'Ericka Waller writes beautifully about the complex love that bonds families and forges the most unlikely of friendships' Katherine Heiny, author of Games and Rituals 
 
'A wonderful, heartfelt read and has zoomed into my favourite reads of the year. A total delight and an easy five stars.' 5-star reader review 
 
'The women in this book are complex, loveable , messy and wonderful. Reading this story made me feel all the feelings.' 5-star reader review 
 
'I highly recommend to anyone looking for a feel-good read' 5-star reader review 
 
'A book that will make you reflect on your own life and the importance of the connections we make with each other' 5-star reader review

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

sectionTitle

isEnabled

anchor

anchorLabel

prhuk/featured-book

prhuk/praise-section

maxBooks

showViewMore

prhuk/books-section

hideAuthorAlert

formName

iterableDivision

iterableBrand

buttonText

description

heading

legalText

successHeading

successText

image

alignment

variation

prhuk/email-section

prhuk/series-section

prhuk/biography-section

prhuk/articles-section

prhuk-authors

The perfect gift? A Penguin Shop gift card

Ericka Waller

Praise for Goodbye Birdie Greenwing

A stunning novel following three women, all lost in their own way … a beautiful portrayal of friendship and hope.

Prepare to shed some tears while reading this gorgeously tender story about friendship and love it all its forms.

A lovely and poignant novel, filled with insight and dry wit. Ericka Waller writes beautifully about the complex love that bonds families and forges the most unlikely of friendships. The painful, funny strugg ...

A stunning novel following three women, all lost in their own way … a beautiful portrayal of friendship and hope.

Prepare to shed some tears while reading this gorgeously tender story about friendship and love it all its forms.

A lovely and poignant novel, filled with insight and dry wit. Ericka Waller writes beautifully about the complex love that bonds families and forges the most unlikely of friendships. The painful, funny strugg ...

A stunning novel following three women, all lost in their own way … a beautiful portrayal of friendship and hope.

Prepare to shed some tears while reading this gorgeously tender story about friendship and love it all its forms.

A lovely and poignant novel, filled with insight and dry wit. Ericka Waller writes beautifully about the complex love that bonds families and forges the most unlikely of friendships. The painful, funny strugg ...

Books by Ericka Waller

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter