Publication Date: April 7, 2026
For readers who loved The Art of Racing in the Rain, a literary short story collection set in contemporary New York that surrounds a group of aging, lonely people who experience the unexpected healing power of pets.
Lost souls come in all forms—some walk on two legs, others on four.
Navigating loneliness and loss is a natural part of growing older, but it’s never easy. In King the Wonder Dog, this journey becomes more bearable for a group of men and women when their interactions with the dogs and cats that share their lives help them discover a deeper understanding of themselves.
A woman whose dog is stolen from her meets a surprising ally who helps get him back. An artist who survives a drive-by shooting is brought a mysterious trinket by the cat he saved from a lonely life. A man in a troubled marriage begins drawing a graphic novel starring his dog as his fierce protector, and it consoles him.
A poignant collection filled with warmth, heart, and quiet moments of reflection, King the Wonder Dog explores the nuances of companionship, the beauty of second chances, and the ways we rescue each other when we least expect it. For anyone who has ever found comfort in the presence of a loyal pet, these stories are a reminder that love—no matter where it comes from—has the power to change everything.
Eleanor Lerman has twenty titles to her name, several of which are award-winning poetry. King the Wonder Dog is a collection of short stories. It is obvious that a mature author has written this new collection. There is a sense of vulnerability and truth to each story.
New York holds the backdrop for the eleven short stories, “King the Wonder Dog” being only one of these. The title, cover, and even the book summary lead the reader to expect that the common thread connecting the collection of stories will be pets. Each story does indeed feature a dog or cat, but some give the pet such a minor role that I lost track of it.
The overarching theme is loneliness, particularly in aging. Lerman does not shy away from painting the scene for each character and the dull ordinariness of a common life.
This is not a book to be read expecting a lighthearted mental getaway. Instead, the stories call forth reflection on both what life may have brought to your path and what may lie ahead. The life circumstances of each character are so varied; even if none strike a likeness to your own journey, the embedded emotions and agonies of decision-making will surely hold a mirror up to a few buried thoughts. The tension created in only a few pages was extraordinary. As a dog lover, I held my breath a few times expecting the worst for the pet, but was relieved when this turn never happened.
The value in reading King the Wonder Dog lies in a literary example of how ordinary lives are created through the small details and the built emotions, not a Hollywood portrayal of grandiose events that mark a life lived. 
Eleanor Lerman is the author of award-winning collections of poetry, short stories, and novels. One of the youngest-ever finalists for a National Book Award, she also received a Guggenheim Fellowship, as well as fellowships from the NEA for poetry and the New York Foundation for the Arts for fiction. During a career that has spanned over fifty years, her poetry, fiction, and essays have been published in dozens of literary magazines and journals.
