It does sound like a lot of this is coming from things that you’ve experienced personally or emotions that you’ve had. Could you consider it autofiction? Likely the origins of the book are in my family’s immigration to Australia, thoughts about expatriation, and the realization that feelings of joy can exist side by side with loss.

Look for what’s already there. I take this to mean that it’s possible to have planted important seeds early in the work without consciously having done so. In the meantime, twin health crises --- Penny's and Burt's --- are complicating matters further, along with Burt's tiny shedding dog and his oddly attractive brother. Tying together all of these elements is Burt's ancient, dilapidated van, the titular Dog of the North, which serves as Penny's transportation and her temporary home for much of the novel. There's so much more to mention about what happens next, including a spontaneous trip to Australia and a reunion with Penny's childhood pediatrician. But suffice it to say that THE DOG OF THE NORTH unfolds at a rapid pace with nary a dull moment. The book is filled with long-standing preoccupations, things like alienation, expatriation and dislocation, step-parents vs. biological parents, failed marriages, awkward misunderstandings, and self-delusion. Once I landed on the character of Penny, I was especially interested in creating an experience for the reader out of the substance of her reactions and emotions. To be able to watch a person go through a logistical and emotional gauntlet and see, in near to real time, how they respond and change.Embedded in [ The Portable Veblen] were some issues that were pretty heavy to me, like the treatment of volunteers in clinical trials or the mismanagement of those trials, veterans’ issues, medical marketing, and so forth. I spent a lot of time on research because those matters were weighty and significant and it was important to get them right and completely absorb the material so that I could write about them naturally. Perhaps that’s how this novel was influenced by the past book, in that I wanted it to be different. With this one, it was much more of an intuitive process.

A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. When her mad-scientist grandmother waves a gun at Meals on Wheels, Penny Rush is called to Santa Barbara, where her adventures begin. So, now I was engaged and ready for the big finish. It didn't happen. Perhaps I was only expecting it to happen because I still hadn't let go of my Redemption By Roadtrip expectations and was looking for Penny's route to her Happy-Ever-After. What actually happened was more subtle, probably more truthful but sadly much less satisfying. Penny didn't have an epiphany. She didn't solve all her problems in a single step by attaching herself to new people She didn't suddenly become strong and fulfilled and self-confident. BUT she did start to like herself a little more and to find ways of saying what she wanted and what she didn't want and to feel entitled to prioritise her own needs. I have been — with Elizabeth for a few hours — in the Saratoga library one mid week morning years ago …Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.

One line on the cover should have told me that my expectations might be a little off. The one that says Shortlisted For The Women's Prize For Fiction. The Women's Prize For Fiction normally goes to quite literary books. The 2022 winner was Ruth Ozeki’s The Book of Form and Emptiness. The 2021 winner was Susanna Clarke's Piranesi. It's not the kind of prize a Redemption By Roadtrip novel is likely to win unless it goes way off-piste. Her stepsister, Margaret settled in Australia with a perfect family and good life. Actually, this one is a boon. How was your experience writing Dog of the North influenced by your experience writing The Portable Veblen? Darkly absurd and slyly insightful. A genuinely comic novel and a potent, poignant investigation into grief and the myriad ways we flailingly, failingly attempt to avoid the pains of loss. Miranda Popkey, author of Topics of Conversation - Penny must surely remind readers of Eleanor Oliphant, Bernadette, Lisa Simpson, and – brilliantly – themselves. The mix of oddness, mystery, pain and joy is perfectly blended. All in all, this is a blissful novel that I want to give to everyone I love.’ Nina Stibbe, author of Reasons to be CheerfulIn the beginning, we see Ann as an eight-year-old who is abandoned by her pregnant mother who sends her to her grandmother in Europe. In that completely alien nation, Ann discovers some disturbing things about her grandmother. Apparently, she is an extreme iconoclast and she shares her beliefs with that little girl which turns Ann’s mind. Ann then grows up to be a college girl, but her disfigured family still haunts her. Her grandmother’s reappearance in her college campus leaves Ann stunned and scared. Those moments seemed like the natural way to transition out of sequences with a lot of chaos. To have her pause and try to ascertain what it all meant or what she’ll do next. Very few novels prompt me to truly laugh out loud, but THE DOG OF THE NORTH did. Penny's misadventures might prove cathartic not only for her, but for readers as well."

She is plagued with problems related with her grandma, Dr. Pincer who is under the radar of Adult Protective Services She is brilliant— hilarious - creative as hell ….. I’m SPENT — I could NOT put this novel down!!! It’s a little like the wild dreams Paul has sometimes—- CRAZY — wild - filled with charming sensations- sentences- words - bizarre beautiful - moments —- nutty and great — great and nutty!I asked why he called it the Dog of the North; he said his ex named it in honor of a beloved novel with a similar name. Literary references aside, he said the name combined two of his favorites, trips, north, and dogs”. The Dog of the North follows Penny on her quest for a fresh start. There will be a road trip in an old van with gingham curtains, a piñata, and stiff brakes. There will be injury and peril. There will be a dog named "Kweecoats" and two brothers who may share a toupée. There will be questions: Why is a detective investigating her grandmother, and what is "the scintillator"? And can Penny recognize a good thing when it finally comes her way? I love Penny’s first person perspective. She’s such an interesting character who is so passive, yet has a resolve and patience so solid that it makes her almost active in a way. The Dog of the North is about a woman who, moving on from a failed marriage, soon stumbles into a series of misadventures involving a mystery, an investigating detective, imposters, and other calamities of the sort that befall someone who often fails to understand people even when they’re trying to get close to her.