Release Date: January 9, 2026
Size: 6x9
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57869-204-0
eBook ISBN: 978-1-57869-213-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2025920023
Booksellers and Libraries: Order Info Here or at Ingram.

SYNOPSIS

Betsy Vereckey was thirty-seven and newly divorced when she rerouted her life from New York City to a tiny town in New Hampshire she knew virtually nothing about . . . except that it was her dog’s hometown. A lot of people switch up their lives after a divorce, but only a dog lover would drive a rental car north with just a duffel bag and a Glen of Imaal terrier named Ronan in the backseat.

While Betsy’s decision to move to Hanover was motivated by a desperate need for change—along with the fact that Mercury was no longer in retrograde and she’d been offered a “garden” apartment she could almost afford—sometimes challenging circumstances and a cosmic hunch lead you right where you’re meant to be.

From the author of the essays “How my dog helped me find love again” (Newsweek) and “This recipe is the best thing I got from my divorce” (Washington Post) comes a relatable, funny and inspiring memoir for anyone feeling stuck in life. As Betsy discovers in writing these stories, taking a leap of faith to find your personal authenticity isn’t wrong—it’s the key to happiness.

Praise

“Vereckey is a raconteur at the top of her game. This is a memoir that vividly evokes the power of community: how we find it; how we nurture it; how it shapes us.”

—Ernest Scheyder, National Book Award longlisted author of The War Below.

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“The best thing about this book? I could say the narrator herself—she’s the kind of bestie you want sitting one bar stool over, explaining your astrological chart or cracking you up. I could also note the excellent writing, but what I really love most about Betsy Vereckey’s memoir is that it makes me believe in signs from the universe (even signs with fur and big noses) that can help guide us to a fresh start and find our way home.”

—Joni B. Cole, author of Party Like It’s 2044

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“Betsy Vereckey’s debut memoir, Moving to My Dog’s Hometown, is like a long, restorative walk with an old friend. With equal parts candor and humor, Vereckey unleashes a page-turning tale about divorce and life’s unexpected detours. It’s a story about our very human need for companionship and a tender-hearted reminder that not all who wander are lost.”

—Wendy Willis Baldwin, author of The Sisters We Were

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“A love story of the best kind, Moving to My Dog’s Hometown reminds us that with personal courage and meaningful support, we can endure life’s toughest challenges. With wit and candor, Vereckey shows resilience as she endures medical treatments for multiple sclerosis, forges new, nurturing ties with a chosen family, and adapts to stick season, snow, and foraging bears. She emerges with renewed confidence and a clear sense of her place and purpose. For anyone stuck in a less-than-satisfying life situation, this is a story to inspire hope, for it assures us we can create happy next chapters.”

—Marjorie Nelson Matthews, author of The Red Wheelbarrow

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“Moving to My Dog’s Hometown is a funny, raw, and quietly luminous memoir about one divorced city girl’s new start in the most unlikely place: her dog breeder’s basement in rural New Hampshire. Along with her terrier Ronan and a pair of eccentric Jeopardy-obsessed landlords, Betsy forms an unexpected pack that quickly grows into a found family, helped along by aura photos, astrology, and the powerful pull of intuition (as well as the occasional CBD tea). With sharp humor and deep tenderness, Moving to My Dog’s Hometown proves that freedom isn’t found in a perfect plan, but in the mess of beginning again.”

—Kelly McMasters, author of The Leaving Season: A Memoir, a Good Morning America May Books Pick

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“A delightfully uplifting, engrossing memoir that will captivate readers...Through a series of interconnected flashbacks and stories, Vereckey discusses the unexpected twists and turns of her life, offering readers hope that healing and beauty can exist after a painful crossroads…Vereckey’s engaging style and approach to the upheaval that follow her divorce—after a four year marriage that she’d hoped would last forever—make her narrative both touching and inspiring. The addition of her dog, Ronan, and the role he plays in her odyssey is delightful. Readers will be riveted by Vereckey’s transformation, from lost and despairing to optimistic and self-aware. Whether sharing her experiences in yoga, late-night encounters with bear activity while alone at a friend’s house, or tapping into the dark emotions that accompany divorce, this is a stirring account of one woman’s quest to grow, gain insight, and heal from life’s hurts.”

—The BookLife Prize

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“While there’s plenty here to make readers laugh, the narrative doesn’t shy from difficult moments…Vereckey’s engaging voice and warm observations keep the pages turning…An honest portrait of someone trying to navigate through the unknown and figure out what home means when everything familiar has fallen away. A quietly engaging chronicle of starting over.”

—Kirkus Reviews

Meet the Author

Betsy Vereckey is a journalist and essayist who began her career as a reporter with the Associated Press in Athens, Greece. She has written about astrology for the Los Angeles Times and about her crush on a hot baker for the New York Times’ Modern Love column. She lives in Vermont with her new husband and three Glen of Imaal terriers.