Moving to My Dog's Hometown: Stories of Everything I Didn't Know I Wanted

Quarter Finalist, Memoir/Autobiography, 2025 BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly

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.

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 husband and three Glen of Imaal terriers.