Woodrow on the Bench: Life Lessons from a Wise Old Dog

Written by Jenna Blum

Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon

“When I say Jenna Blum’s upcoming Woodrow on the Bench wrecked me and that I’m now sobbing eating all the chocolate, I mean it in the best way possible.”—Jodi Picoult 

""Jenna Blum's wonderful moving memoir, is a “girl and her dog” story for the ages!”—Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Those Who Save Us pays tribute to her beloved black Lab, Woodrow, in this beautiful memoir that recalls the last six months of his life and the ways in which he taught her to live. 

 “For anyone who’s ever loved an old dog.”

Since she adopted him as a puppy fifteen years earlier, Jenna Blum and Woodrow have been inseparable. Known to many as “the George Clooney of dogs” for his good looks and charm, Woodrow and his “Mommoo” are fixtures in their Boston neighborhood. 

But Woodrow is aging. As he begins to fail, the true nature of his extraordinary relationship with Jenna is revealed. Jenna may be the dog parent, but it is Woodrow, with his amazing personality and trusting nature, who has much to teach her. A divorcée who has experienced her share of sadness and loss, Jenna discovers, over the months she spends caring for her ailing dog, what it is to be present in the moment, and what it truly means to love.

Aided by an amazing group of friends and buoyed by the support of strangers, Jenna and Woodrow navigate these precious final days together with kindness, humor, and grace. Their unforgettable love story will reaffirm your belief in kindness, break your heart, and leave your spirit soaring.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Nov 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063113213

Jenna Blum

Jenna Blum is the New York Times and # 1 internationally bestselling author of novels Those Who Save Us, The Stormchasers, and The Lost Family. She was voted one of Oprah readers’ Top 30 Women Writers on Oprah.com and is the co-founder/ CEO of literary social media marketing company A Mighty Blaze. Jenna earned her MA at Boston University in Creative Writing and has taught writing workshops at Grub Street Writers for over 20 years. She interviewed Holocaust survivors for Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation and is a professional public speaker, traveling nationally and internationally to speak about her work. Jenna is based in downtown Boston, where she lives across from Woodrow’s bench and is currently a dog mom to her black Lab puppy Henry Higgins. For more about Jenna, please visit www.jennablum.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

Reviews for Woodrow on the Bench

[fredreeca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ever have a book that just hits you at the right time, just when you need it. Well, this one was it for me. I am a huge dog lover. And I fell hook, line and sinker for Woodrow. He truly led a charmed life and he touched everyone he met.This wonderful story will have you laughing out loud and then crying like crazy all in the same paragraph. I would have loved to have met Woodrow and experienced the “Woodrow Effect”. He would have had me wrapped around his paw…as he did everyone he came in contact with. He just had a certain magnetism that cannot be denied.This story had me reminiscing about the dogs that have touched my life. Dogs are truly special animals which love knows no bounds. And Woodrow is right there at the top!Need a good book about a very good dog…THIS IS IT!I received this novel fora honest review.

[susan0316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jenna adopted Woodrow (a black Lab) as a puppy and he changed her life right from the beginning. As the book begins, Woodrow is 14 years old and beginning to have health problems Twelve years is the normal life span for this breed so Woodrow was definitely a 'senior citizen". When she took him for walks, they always ended up on a bench on Boston's Commonwealth Mall across from her apartment. She and Woodrow made lots of friends on that bench - both humans and other dogs. Helped by an amazing group of old friends and new friends that she'd met on the bench, she was helped by their support during Woodrow's final days. The story of the love between Jenna and Woodrow will break your heart but it will also make you feel good about other people and their pets.I have never had a pet so I wasn't sure that this whether this book would resonate with me. Growing up, there were too many kids and not enough room for a pet and after I got married, we both travelled too much to add a pet to our family. After reading about Woodrow's life, I think that I need to look into adopting a rescue dog. This book shines with the unconditional love between Jenna and Woodrow. It made me laugh - especially during the "conversations" between them. It also made me cry - not just tears but sobs. This book is a must read for people with their own fur babies but it's also a book that needs to be read by anyone who doesn't understand the love between a person and their dog. Thanks to Jenna for sharing her story about the lessons that you learned from that wise old dog.Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.