The Dog Went Over the Mountain

by Peter Zheutlin

Overview

On the cusp of turning 65, a man and his beloved rescue dog of similar vintage take a poignant, often bemusing, and keenly observed journey across America and discover a big-hearted, welcoming country filled with memorable characters, a new-found appreciation for the life they temporarily left behind, and a determination to live more fully in the moment as old age looms. Inspired by John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, Zheutlin, hits the road for a 9,000-mile odyssey with Albie to experience all that American is and means today. Similar in approach and tone to Bill Bryson’s best-selling travel classics, with with an endearing canine sidekick, The Dog Went Over the Mountain will delight dog lovers, baby boomers and anyone who seeks to experience life on the open road with a four-legged companion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643132709
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	328
File size:	91 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Peter Zheutlin is the author of the New York Times bestseller Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs and a Million Miles on the Lost Hope Highway; Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things; and The Dog Went Over the Mountain: Travels With Albie—An American Journey (also available from Pegasus Books), a Lowell Thomas/Societ of American Travel Writers Award winner. Peter lives in Massachusetts with his wife, author Judy Gelman.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Introduction xi

Part 1 From Here 1

1 Outward Bound 3

2 Jersey Boys 11

3 Oh, Shenandoah 23

4 Gone to Carolina 35

5 Tennessee Waltz 51

6 Tupelo Honey 63

Part 2 To There 85

7 Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? 87

8 Every Dog Will Have His Day 111

9 Texas Two-Step 123

10 This Land Is Your Land 133

11 Get Your Kicks on Route 66 159

12 Grand Canyon Sweet 175

13 California Dreamin' 187

Part 3 … and Back Again 217

14 North Up to Oregon 219

15 Running on Empty 239

16 Coming Home 257

Acknowledgments 269

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2019

Before his 65th birthday, Zheutlin (Rescue Road) and his nine-year-old rescue retriever mix Albie set out on a journey across America. Inspired by John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, he drove 9,000 miles in six weeks, beginning in New England. Zheutlin detoured from Steinbeck's route in a few places—a drive along Natchez Trace parkway, a side trip to Woody Guthrie's hometown in Oklahoma, and a stopover in Louisiana to visit the organization that united his family with Albie. The object was to "share a more lighthearted, heartfelt, and dog-friendly tour of America." He doesn't dive as deeply into the social issues as Paul Theroux (Deep South) but also doesn't avoid politics, race, and animal abuse when it came up. Covering a leisurely 200 miles a day, the author and Albie stay in mostly budget motels and with friends, and eat at pet-friendly cafés while visiting with restaurant owners, a California state senator, musicians, and tourists along the way. VERDICT An entertaining account of a man and his dog traveling along America's highways—teen and adult fans of Bill Bryson's travel books and stories of rescue animals will find this delightful.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

Library Journal

Zheutlin takes readers on a road to enlightenment that delights in the ordinary and spins gold from the day-to-day observations of our divided nation in flux. It’s a tale as timely as it is timeless, with the bond between man and dog as its beating heart. Peter and Albie’s journey gives us hope that the America we dreamed of isn’t as far away or as nostalgic as we thought.

Rory Kress

A thought-provoking read very much in the spirit of Travels with Charley. Every generation rediscovers America anew; Peter and Albie capture the magic and essence Steinbeck discovered with Charley.

Michele Speich

I loved this book. It eloquently describes the singular joy of giving a rescue dog one’s hearth and heart.

Lisa Mullins

A must-read for anyone who has ever experienced the love of a dog. Peter Zheutlin does a masterful job conveying the meaning and joy that come from helping a once-homeless animal feel secure, loved, and part of the family. This beautiful book belongs on every dog lover’s shelf.

Laura T. Coffey

Inspiring and riveting...a must-read.

The Bark (Praise for RESCUE ROAD)

Peter Zheutlin has written a lovely, moving, important book about a subject that is both heartbreaking and joyful. Greg Mahle, the central figure of this story, is now a hero of mine. Dogs are not just property. They are one way God tests our compassion.

Dean Koontz (Praise for RESCUE ROAD)

Zheutlin and Albie got to share the kind of cross-country journey that most Americans only dream about in the autumn of their lives. This story should inspire countless to get out there and go while man and mutt both still have the energy and enthusiasm to explore.

Kim Kavin

Entertaining and thoughtful. Packed with history, fascinating characters, and of course, fabulous dogs. A great book for anyone who loves dogs, road trips, or America. As someone who loves all three, I was captivated right from the beginning.

Teresa Rhyne

Heartwarming doesn't suffice to describe it: this tale of stray, unwanted, and abandoned dogs, and the people who devote their lives to saving them, restores faith in humanity.

Alexandra Horowitz

Poignant and magnificent. Brilliantly observed and Odyssean in breadth, this book reveals all that is generous about the American heart. A classic story of finding truth and humanity in the mundane—and how a man and his dog learned to live in the moment, on the trip of a lifetime.

Elissa Altman

While the journey itself wasn’t always easy, [Zheutlin’s] easygoing writing style makes for comfortable reading. . . . Your own next adventure might only be as far as the dog park, but reading The Dog Went Over the Mountain may inspire you, like Zheutlin, to end the trip with an ice cream cone and a hug for the dog who is part of your journey

BookPage

Fans of Zheutlin’s previous titles will find exactly what they expect here: a deep affection for dogs . . . winsome curiosity about the folks he meets along the way, and a spirit of mature adventure. This is the territory of Bill Bryson: a wry, thoughtful look at the byways of America. Book clubs should certainly consider taking this delightful trip

Booklist

2019-06-30
Meanderings around America in the company of an obliging yellow Lab.

"Not every trip we take is life-altering or results in a profound epiphany," writes freelance journalist Zheutlin (Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living With Purpose, Loving With Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things, 2017, etc.), who demonstrates the truth of that statement. Closing in on retirement age, he and Albie hit the road in homage to John Steinbeck's Travels With Charley. Zheutlin travels wide but seldom deep, gathering anecdotes over 9,000 miles from New England to the West Coast and back. He notes that Vicksburg, Mississippi, "even with its rich Civil War history, seemed forlorn" and hastens on to Natchez, which "was prettier and seemed more prosperous." If he'd lingered for a moment in Vicksburg, he might have learned why that might be the case and why residents of that city still nurse hard feelings for their neighbors downriver. Some of his stories have more weight to them. A nice moment comes early on, when he describes the so-called Jackson Whites, "a race living in the Ramapo Mountains" who were probably a mixed population of runaway slaves, Native Americans, Hessian deserters, and other people who had good reason to want to be left alone. Albie is definitely the star of the show; like all Labs, he can be growly at times but is otherwise an amiable presence. It doesn't help his case that Zheutlin uses Albie to sentimental, sometimes-cloying ends, as when he writes of a homeless woman he encounters, "Albie, of course, cannot make judgments about people's circumstances, which may be why meeting a dog that cannot and will not discriminate against you based on your circumstances, your race, or your religion must be…a lesson for us all." Nostrums notwithstanding, the narrative is unchallenging and easygoing, like something Charles Kuralt might have delivered in his TV travelogues of old.

Pleasant enough but a soufflé that leaves Steinbeck with nothing to worry about.

Kirkus Reviews