The Friend

A book about the unexpected love of a woman and the dog she's adopted from her dead friend and mentor. But wait. It's really a book about grief and the long tail of love. Oh, and about literary reputation. No, no, no — it's a vast reference to movies, books, quotes, and philosophies. The Friend is highly enjoyable, daringly flippant at times, and quite moving. One of my favorite novels of recent memory. Recommended By Kevin S., Powells.com

Despite what it sounds like — and without spoilers — this is not one of those “the cat/dog/pet dies at the end, but not before teaching me the most important of life lessons” genre of books. Yes, it is a book about loss and grief and a dog, but also about uncommon evil, memory, and voice, and a questioning not only of the worth of fiction but the right to tell stories only partially — or not at all — our own. An intellectually engaging and profoundly affecting meditation. I closed the last page with gratitude, questions, and hunger to read much more by this author. Recommended By Lori M., Powells.com

WINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2018

"A beautiful book ... a world of insight into death, grief, art, and love." — Wall Street Journal

"A penetrating, moving meditation on loss, comfort, memory...Nunez has a wry, withering wit." — NPR

"Dry, allusive and charming...the comedy here writes itself." The New York Times

A moving story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the magical bond between a woman and her dog.

When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she finds herself burdened with the unwanted dog he has left behind. Her own battle against grief is intensified by the mute suffering of the dog, a huge Great Dane traumatized by the inexplicable disappearance of its master, and by the threat of eviction: dogs are prohibited in her apartment building.

While others worry that grief has made her a victim of magical thinking, the woman refuses to be separated from the dog except for brief periods of time. Isolated from the rest of the world, increasingly obsessed with the dog's care, determined to read its mind and fathom its heart, she comes dangerously close to unraveling. But while troubles abound, rich and surprising rewards lie in store for both of them.

Elegiac and searching, The Friend is both a meditation on loss and a celebration of human-canine devotion.

"Nunez offers an often-hilarious, always-penetrating look at writing, grief, and the companionship of dogs." — Booklist

"Riveting...This elegant novel explores both rich memories and day-to-day mundanity, reflecting the way that, especially in grief, the past is often more vibrant than the present." — Publishers Weekly

"In crystalline prose, Nunez creates an impressively controlled portrait of the 'exhaustion of mourning.'" — The New Yorker

Sigrid Nunez is the author of the novels Salvation City, The Last of Her Kind, A Feather on the Breath of God, and For Rouenna, among others. She is also the author of Sempre Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag. She has been the recipient of several awards, including a Whiting Award, the Rome Prize in Literature, and a Berlin Prize Fellowship. Nunez lives in New York City.