Follow the Dog Home: How a Simple Walk Unleashed an Incredible Family Journey

A tale of three generations of Walsh family dogs, this quaint book demonstrates the tremendous bond that can exist between humans and their canine pals. Written by Comcast SportsNet anchor Kevin Walsh (The Marrow in Me); his 72-year-old father, Bob; and his 10-year-old daughter, Samantha, the book spans 1941 to the present, with the three Walshes taking turns narrating. After moving to Wellesley, Mass., Kevin’s beloved German shepherd, Beverly, becomes fascinated with a random home on their walking route, which turns out to be his father’s childhood home. Bob relates stories about his first dog, Dee Dee; FlyBoy, the cocker spaniel who howled incessantly; and the saintly Claudia, who dug her own grave. Kevin Walsh shares tales of Danielle, the determined cairn terrier who digs through carpeting and the floorboard to get to a parakeet in the basement, and Susie, the golden retriever with a fondness for alcohol. Not all their dog relationships are easy, however—Bob’s St. Bernard, Murphy, suddenly turns vicious and needs to be put down, and Daisy, the deaf dalmatian, cannot bear to be touched. Young Samantha, with her innocent love for her German shepherds Tiffany and Beverly and dreams of a life with eight kids of her own and lots of dogs, proves most charming. Agent: Concierge Marketing. (Feb.)