NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In this wonderful book, Jon Katz, the owner of Bedlam Farm, learns once again about the unexpected places animals can take us. As trained hospice volunteers visiting homes and nursing facilities in upstate New York, Katz and his affectionate and intuitive border collie Izzy bring comfort and canine companionship to people who most need it. An eighty-year-old Alzheimer’s patient smiles for the first time in months when she feels Izzy’s soft fur. A retired logger joyfully remembers his own beloved dog. As Izzy bonds with patients and Katz focuses on their families, the author begins to come to terms with his own life, discovering dark realities he has never confronted. Meanwhile, Lenore, a spirited, bright-eyed black Labrador puppy, arrives at Bedlam Farm. Her genial personality and boundless capacity for affection steer Katz out of the shadows, rekindle his love of working with dogs, and restore his connection to the farm and the animals and people around him.
“With wisdom and grace, [Katz] unlocks the canine soul and the complicated wonders that lie within and offers powerful insights to anyone who has ever struggled with, and loved, a troubled animal.”—John Grogan, author of Marley & Me

“Katz’s world–of animals and humans and their combined generosity of spirit–is a place you’re glad you’ve been.”—Boston Globe

“One of our most talented and perceptive canine chroniclers.”—AKC Gazette

“Compelling . . . Amidst swirling emotions and personal tangles, Izzy & Lenore is a gem of a showcase of man and dog at their best.”—CityDog magazine

“Will make you smile, weep and perhaps look at the four-legged creature in your own life with a little more appreciation and love.”—Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

“What could be better than man’s best friend? Two of them, of course.”—New York Post, required reading