What a Dog Knows
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- Create Date：2021-07-05 11:31:11
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Susan Wilson
- ISBN：1427291306
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Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wilson comes What a Dog Knows， another heartwarming novel about humans and the dogs that change our lives。
Ruby Heartwood has always lived a life on the move。 As a traveling psychic， she makes her living working at carnivals and festivals and circuses around New England。 It's a life Ruby has made peace with--settling in one place has never been for her。 She needs no one， and no one needs her。
Until one night， when she is camped by the side of the road in her trusty Volkswagon Westie van， a fierce thunder and lightning storm erupts。 In the middle of the downpour， she hears a distinct voice telling her to let me in。 In jumps a little black and white dog， and to Ruby's astonishment， she can hear the dog's thoughts。 Has she been struck by lightning？ Did the storm do this？ Is she losing her mind？
It turns out， Ruby can hear many dogs' thoughts。 She decides to set up semi-permanent residency in the town of Harmony Farms， until she can sort out what is going on， and who the little dog， Hitch， belongs to。 But some people in Harmony Farms don't want her there。 And it seems that events keep preventing Ruby from leaving。 What secrets is this town keeping？ Why was she meant to find this dog？ And what has Ruby really been running from， all these years？
A Macmillan Audio production from St。 Martin's Press
Ruby Heartwood has always lived a life on the move。 As a traveling psychic， she makes her living working at carnivals and festivals and circuses around New England。 It's a life Ruby has made peace with--settling in one place has never been for her。 She needs no one， and no one needs her。
Until one night， when she is camped by the side of the road in her trusty Volkswagon Westie van， a fierce thunder and lightning storm erupts。 In the middle of the downpour， she hears a distinct voice telling her to let me in。 In jumps a little black and white dog， and to Ruby's astonishment， she can hear the dog's thoughts。 Has she been struck by lightning？ Did the storm do this？ Is she losing her mind？
It turns out， Ruby can hear many dogs' thoughts。 She decides to set up semi-permanent residency in the town of Harmony Farms， until she can sort out what is going on， and who the little dog， Hitch， belongs to。 But some people in Harmony Farms don't want her there。 And it seems that events keep preventing Ruby from leaving。 What secrets is this town keeping？ Why was she meant to find this dog？ And what has Ruby really been running from， all these years？
A Macmillan Audio production from St。 Martin's Press
Reviews
Andrea A
，
Ever wonder what your pet is thinking？ That is what Ruby Heartwood， a traveling psychic/nomad finds out when lightening strikes， and a little dog enters her life that she names Hitch。 Ruby and Hitch heads to Harmony Farms， where Ruby discovers she is not wanted by various towns people， almost loses the dog， after she finds the real owner， and finds herself on a journey to discover why she was given up for adoption。Cute little story about friendship and the journey to self discovery and who one r Ever wonder what your pet is thinking？ That is what Ruby Heartwood， a traveling psychic/nomad finds out when lightening strikes， and a little dog enters her life that she names Hitch。 Ruby and Hitch heads to Harmony Farms， where Ruby discovers she is not wanted by various towns people， almost loses the dog， after she finds the real owner， and finds herself on a journey to discover why she was given up for adoption。Cute little story about friendship and the journey to self discovery and who one really is。 I liked it， but not wowed。 Do recommend。My thanks to Net Galley， the publisher， and the audio company for a chance to review。 。。。more
Charlene Hochman
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Thank you for this wonderful story！！！
Sheila Burke
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This book was absolutely FABULOUS。 This is the first book I've read by the talented Susan Wilson。 This story tugged my emotions， and I found myself ready to cry at times， and smiling at times。 Well written and well paced， this book is incredibly entertaining and really hard to put down。 Very well worth the time to read。 Five fabulous stars！ This book was absolutely FABULOUS。 This is the first book I've read by the talented Susan Wilson。 This story tugged my emotions， and I found myself ready to cry at times， and smiling at times。 Well written and well paced， this book is incredibly entertaining and really hard to put down。 Very well worth the time to read。 Five fabulous stars！ 。。。more
Jeanne
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Ruby was left in an orphanage in Ottawa as an infant and dreamt that one day she would find her mother。 She has a gift for telling the future and at 14 ran away from the orphanage when she was accused of being in league with the devil。 Under the tutelage of Madame Celestine she learns how to read fortunes and make a living in the carnival circuit。 Now she is 55， her daughter has opted for a stay-in-one place life so Ruby travels alone until one night she stops in Harmony Farms where a little dog Ruby was left in an orphanage in Ottawa as an infant and dreamt that one day she would find her mother。 She has a gift for telling the future and at 14 ran away from the orphanage when she was accused of being in league with the devil。 Under the tutelage of Madame Celestine she learns how to read fortunes and make a living in the carnival circuit。 Now she is 55， her daughter has opted for a stay-in-one place life so Ruby travels alone until one night she stops in Harmony Farms where a little dog comes to her during a storm and she realizes she can talk to her。 There is a Maker's Faire in town so Ruby sets up shop， starts making friends and every time she tries to leave something stands in her way。 Ruby is such a great character。 She lives in a VW Westphalia and doesn't take herself too seriously but she is loyal to the people she meets even with the thinking that she will be moving on soon。 All the rest of the characters were just as endearing， Bull and Polly and Doug。 Harmony Farms actually sounded like a nice place to be。 There is a little mystery as Ruby searches for her mom and that was a cute ending。 I want to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this lovely story。 。。。more
Cindy
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What a Dog Knows is a fun book for dog lovers。 Ruby is a traveling fortune teller who finds a dog on the door of her camper van。 She finds out she can hear what the dog is thinking。 She becomes an animal psychic and is able to tell people what their pets are thinking。 I wish I had that gift！ It would make dog training so much easier。 Ruby is searching for her mother， eventually the dog， Hitch， helps her find her mother， sister， and love。Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's press for my advanced r What a Dog Knows is a fun book for dog lovers。 Ruby is a traveling fortune teller who finds a dog on the door of her camper van。 She finds out she can hear what the dog is thinking。 She becomes an animal psychic and is able to tell people what their pets are thinking。 I wish I had that gift！ It would make dog training so much easier。 Ruby is searching for her mother， eventually the dog， Hitch， helps her find her mother， sister， and love。Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's press for my advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Carol Custer
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This is a delightful and enjoyable book！ The characters - both human and canine - are wonderful and feel totally real。 The setting is unusual and interesting with the carnivals and festivals。 The story is intriguing with some bumps along the way leading to a happy ending。The only thing that was slightly irritating to me was the way Hitchhiker's thoughts were inserted into the dialogue with no real intros， making it a slight challenge sometimes to know it was the dog's thoughts。 But if that's the This is a delightful and enjoyable book！ The characters - both human and canine - are wonderful and feel totally real。 The setting is unusual and interesting with the carnivals and festivals。 The story is intriguing with some bumps along the way leading to a happy ending。The only thing that was slightly irritating to me was the way Hitchhiker's thoughts were inserted into the dialogue with no real intros， making it a slight challenge sometimes to know it was the dog's thoughts。 But if that's the only 'fault' I can find with a book， it doesn't bother me！This is a perfect， easy-going read。 。。。more
Leslie
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I have read almost every book by this author。 I am a major dog person and have never disappointed！ Ruby is an amazing woman。 She is truly untethered after having been abandoned at an orphanage as a little one。 It was never a happy place for her so she decides to hits the road as a young teen。 During her travels she meets many people and the one she trusted the most lets her down in spectacularly heartbreaking fashion。 She never truly trusts again until she meets and falls in love with an adorabl I have read almost every book by this author。 I am a major dog person and have never disappointed！ Ruby is an amazing woman。 She is truly untethered after having been abandoned at an orphanage as a little one。 It was never a happy place for her so she decides to hits the road as a young teen。 During her travels she meets many people and the one she trusted the most lets her down in spectacularly heartbreaking fashion。 She never truly trusts again until she meets and falls in love with an adorable pup she names the Hitchhiker， with whom she can communicate。 Their journey to help her find the truth of how she wound up in an orphanage， to find the woman who most disappointed her and eventually find a safe place to finally land and feel loved and safe。 In true Suss Wilson fashion you will get sucked right in to this wonderful story and root for Ruby and Hitch to finally find their happily ever after。I received a copy of this book from Netgalley。com in exchange for a fair and honest review。 My thanks to Netgalley。com， St。Martins Press and Susan Wilson for the opportunity。 。。。more
Carla Johnson-Hicks
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Ruby is a psychic， a fortune teller。 She has spent most of her life working at street fairs， carnivals， and the odd Renaissance Faire。 She has spent her life running away。 She has run from the orphanage where she was left as a newborn， from those who exploited her， and away from the man who raped her。 She ran from child welfare authorities when she was a teenage mother， worried someone would try and take her child from her。 She seems to be losing her ability to read people， but when she meets a Ruby is a psychic， a fortune teller。 She has spent most of her life working at street fairs， carnivals， and the odd Renaissance Faire。 She has spent her life running away。 She has run from the orphanage where she was left as a newborn， from those who exploited her， and away from the man who raped her。 She ran from child welfare authorities when she was a teenage mother， worried someone would try and take her child from her。 She seems to be losing her ability to read people， but when she meets a small dog she is suddenly able to read animals。 Remaining in the small town of Harmony Farms far longer than any place before， she begins to make human connections and feel at home for the first time。I really enjoyed this story about Ruby and her new canine companion "The Hitchhiker"。 The story is told from both Ruby's and the Hitchhiker's POV which is actually fun and fresh。 I really enjoyed hearing how the world looks to this little dog。 Ruby is a great character who has had a difficult life。 We learn about her past through flashbacks and it showed how strong she really was。 She is a caring person， who developed friendships with unlikely people， which demonstrated her kindness and caring。 I loved hearing about her animal "readings"。 The animals in the story demonstrated normal behaviours that could easily be corrected once the cause was known。 I liked how the animals were treated in this story and Ruby's low key approach to the owners。 There is a bit of a romance， but that is the secondary storyline as it pertains to Ruby's changes in her life。 This was an enjoyable story that I recommend to animal lovers and those who enjoy a good story about new beginnings。 Christina Delaine does a great job with the narration of this audiobook。 The voices she used for the pets were a hoot and the human voices differentiated the various characters。 Her expression and tone were right on and I enjoyed this audio story very much。 The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Teri Griffis
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Wouldn't it be wonderful and amazing if your pets could talk to you？ To tell you how they feel？ To tell you they love you？ This is an amazingly wonderful book with fun loving characters that will take you to a place where animals communicate and assist Ruby with her chosen profession of psychic "runaway"。 Very enjoyable read。I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary， honest review。 Wouldn't it be wonderful and amazing if your pets could talk to you？ To tell you how they feel？ To tell you they love you？ This is an amazingly wonderful book with fun loving characters that will take you to a place where animals communicate and assist Ruby with her chosen profession of psychic "runaway"。 Very enjoyable read。I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary， honest review。 。。。more
Lisa
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I really enjoyed my time with Ruby and Hitch！ This was a fun book， and now I want a little of Ruby's animal communicating ability so that I can know what my pets are thinking。 I found this to be one of those books that got off to a slow start， but then began to pull me into the story。 This is one I will think about often - possibly every time I look in my dog's or cat's sweet little faces。 Lots of cute dogs and other animals。 All the paws up！Thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the I really enjoyed my time with Ruby and Hitch！ This was a fun book， and now I want a little of Ruby's animal communicating ability so that I can know what my pets are thinking。 I found this to be one of those books that got off to a slow start， but then began to pull me into the story。 This is one I will think about often - possibly every time I look in my dog's or cat's sweet little faces。 Lots of cute dogs and other animals。 All the paws up！Thank you to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Melanie
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What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is such a sweet yet emotional book。 I was never much of a dog person until we got a puppy and now I get why so many people go crazy over their pups。 Though we got our puppy for our daughter， I think he is partially mine， too。 I adore this guy so much and am quite attached to him。 When my daughter does on sleepovers at her friends’ houses， I sleep in her bed with him so he doesn’t have to be alone！ Weird？ Yes。 Do I care？ Nope。 Until my daughter tells me not to do What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is such a sweet yet emotional book。 I was never much of a dog person until we got a puppy and now I get why so many people go crazy over their pups。 Though we got our puppy for our daughter， I think he is partially mine， too。 I adore this guy so much and am quite attached to him。 When my daughter does on sleepovers at her friends’ houses， I sleep in her bed with him so he doesn’t have to be alone！ Weird？ Yes。 Do I care？ Nope。 Until my daughter tells me not to do it anymore （forget about my husband who does not understand at all）。Anyway， the reason I went into all of this is because I was so intrigued when reading this book and I couldn’t help but look at our pup sometimes while reading and wonder what he was thinking or was trying to say。 How fun would that be？ I just KNOW that he is telling me how much he loves me sometimes， or is whining because no one has played with him for hours。 I was thinking it would be entertaining to go see Ruby and see what she could tell me。 Ruby is such an eccentric character， and no wonder。 She has led quite the interesting life and come across some flavorful people and situations over the years。 I just love her personality and relationship with the other characters。 She can be quite feisty， yet a softy at the same time。 This book has quite a few things going on and they all blend together seamlessly， creating an enjoyable and comfortable book too read。 。。。more
Paula
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What a wonderful story！ What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is a story of a woman， a dog， and a search of belonging。 At the most unexpected time and at the most unexpected place Ruby Heartwood finds a companion and a new calling that changes her nomadic lifestyle。 I found myself enchanted by Hitchhiker， in awe of Ruby’s survival ability and found myself wondering what my dog would have said of it all。The writing is excellent in the way that there is foreshadowing， mystery with a simple turn in the What a wonderful story！ What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is a story of a woman， a dog， and a search of belonging。 At the most unexpected time and at the most unexpected place Ruby Heartwood finds a companion and a new calling that changes her nomadic lifestyle。 I found myself enchanted by Hitchhiker， in awe of Ruby’s survival ability and found myself wondering what my dog would have said of it all。The writing is excellent in the way that there is foreshadowing， mystery with a simple turn in the plot along the way。 Especially well done is how Ruby’s past is revealed in tidbits along the way。 There are realistic supporting characters， four legged and two legged that are intriguing but not so many to be confusing。 I came to care for these characters， their concerns， their needs， and the outcomes they faced。 No matter what I was doing I was constantly thinking about how much I wanted to get back to Ruby， her dog and her new found friends。Ms。 Wilson has written several stories with dogs but this one is my favorite for sure。 An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Cat
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Susan Wilson stole my heart with her deeply endearing novel， “One Good Dog”。 If you want to read a few of her books， I recommend you start with that one。 She maintains that deep connection between humans and dogs in her new novel， “What a Dog Knows”。 I could easily see my dog thinking the thoughts and reacting as the dogs in this beautifully written story。One of the best healers for a tortured human soul is a tortured dog soul。 Susan teaches this life lesson with the help of Ruby and a stray dog Susan Wilson stole my heart with her deeply endearing novel， “One Good Dog”。 If you want to read a few of her books， I recommend you start with that one。 She maintains that deep connection between humans and dogs in her new novel， “What a Dog Knows”。 I could easily see my dog thinking the thoughts and reacting as the dogs in this beautifully written story。One of the best healers for a tortured human soul is a tortured dog soul。 Susan teaches this life lesson with the help of Ruby and a stray dog she calls The Hitchhiker。 During an angry rainstorm one night， Ruby Heartwood hears whining and scratching at the door to her home on wheels， which she’s lived and traveled in all her life。 The wet little bundle of fur is able to “talk” with Ruby when she rubs the puppy’s head and listens closely。 Ruby has always had the gift of clairvoyance so she’s not too startled by this revelation。 She quickly learns that she can also communicate with horses。Her Volkswagon Westie needs extensive work， so Ruby is reluctantly stuck in the little town of Harmony Farms strapped for cash。 She uses her fortune-telling skills along with her new dog and horse reading skills to assist people and raise funds for needed repairs， and it seems that she just can’t get out of this little town soon enough。 But Hitch， her newly adopted puppy， has other plans。 He knows the cure to her heartache is very close to this area and he doesn’t want her to leave until she pays attention to her own heart。If you love dogs and/or horses， lost souls， and beautifully written words; if you love living in a well-written book so much that you dread reaching the end， then please do your soul some good and read this book。 You will simply love it。Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St， Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 The publishing date is June 22， 2021。 。。。more
Nancy
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A Psychic Communicates with AnimalsRuby Heartwood has been running for most of her life。 She was left at a Catholic orphanage by her mother as an infant。 Growing up， she felt could know things about a person by touching them。 When she tells a nun what her life holds， the Mother Superior calls her evil and puts her in solitary confinement。 Ruby escapes and hits the road as a fourteen-year-old。Ruby’s had a difficult life。 She earns her living going from carnival to medieval fair and on to another A Psychic Communicates with AnimalsRuby Heartwood has been running for most of her life。 She was left at a Catholic orphanage by her mother as an infant。 Growing up， she felt could know things about a person by touching them。 When she tells a nun what her life holds， the Mother Superior calls her evil and puts her in solitary confinement。 Ruby escapes and hits the road as a fourteen-year-old。Ruby’s had a difficult life。 She earns her living going from carnival to medieval fair and on to another carnival， but her powers seem to be waning。 One night during a wild rainstorm， she falls asleep in her van。 In the morning she opens the door to a King Charles spaniel。 She calls him Hitchhiker and they team up。 She seems to be able to know what he’s thinking。 The town where she’s landed is Harmony Farms。 She signs up for the Farmers’ Market and Makers Faire to use her psychic talents。 She now adds the ability to communicate with animals。 Although she usually moves on， Ruby finds she wants to stay in Harmony Farms。 Perhaps she will find why she has been running away from everything for so long。 This is a wonderful story， particularly if you love animals。 The story is about friendship， struggle and overcoming obstacles。 I loved the animals not just Hitchhiker， but the other animals Rudy worked with。 I thought Rudy’s character was great。 Her life was a struggle， but she didn’t give up。 If you enjoy a well written story， with a good ending， you’ll enjoy this one。 I received this book from St。 Martin’s Press for this review。 。。。more
Debbie
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3。5 StarsRuby grew up in a convent orphanage never knowing who dropped her off there or who her mother was。 Unfortunately， her memories of the orphanage aren’t the best， especially after it became known that she had some psychic abilities。 So at an early age she escapes from the orphanage and finds herself trying to survive any way she can。This is a hard book for me to review。 It is original， well written， and has the elements that should have attracted me。 Yet for some reason I had a hard time 3。5 StarsRuby grew up in a convent orphanage never knowing who dropped her off there or who her mother was。 Unfortunately， her memories of the orphanage aren’t the best， especially after it became known that she had some psychic abilities。 So at an early age she escapes from the orphanage and finds herself trying to survive any way she can。This is a hard book for me to review。 It is original， well written， and has the elements that should have attracted me。 Yet for some reason I had a hard time feeling engaged in the story。 Susan Wilson is my go-to author when I’m in the mood for a story that includes dogs。 In my opinion she’s the best。 But in the case of What a Dog Knows， I felt no real compassion for Ruby or Hitchhiker， the dog that attached herself to Ruby。 Why didn’t this story work for me？ I’m still trying to figure that out， since other reviewers seem to be rating this very high。As I rethink the story， there was a section that had more tension than other parts of the book， but it just took too long to get there。My ConcernsI had trouble feeling emotionally invested in this story， even though it was well written and very original。 Neither Ruby nor Hitchhiker caused me to want to keep turning pages。My Final ThoughtsThis is a book with such high reviews that it would be a mistake for you not to read it and form your own conclusion。 The odds are in favor of you loving it。I received an ARC from #NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press。 This is only my opinion。 。。。more
Victoria
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I've been a fan of Wilson's for years now - particularly of her dog-centric books like this one。 And I really and truly loved this one！！ So much that when I realized that this is actually a spin-off of Wilson's 2003 novel， The Fortune Teller's Daughter， I immediately found a way to get a copy of this out-of-print title into my hands。 Main character， Ruby Heartwood is a genuine psychic and on a stormy spring evening in Harmony Falls， Massachusetts， she crosses paths with a very unique King Charle I've been a fan of Wilson's for years now - particularly of her dog-centric books like this one。 And I really and truly loved this one！！ So much that when I realized that this is actually a spin-off of Wilson's 2003 novel， The Fortune Teller's Daughter， I immediately found a way to get a copy of this out-of-print title into my hands。 Main character， Ruby Heartwood is a genuine psychic and on a stormy spring evening in Harmony Falls， Massachusetts， she crosses paths with a very unique King Charles Cavalier Spaniel。 Her abilities suddenly expand to allow Ruby remarkably clear communication with the small dog。 What she doesn't expect is that this new relationship will open Ruby up more than she ever expected and leads her to be able to get all that she ever wanted。 It's such a fun read！ Absolutely magically entertaining！ I am so excited to read the book that focuses more on Sabine， too！ And I am looking forward to seeing what Wilson writes next！ But I do think that this is probably my very favorite of all of her books so far！ It's an uplifting and sweet read - with some sad parts， too， but still an overwhelmingly positive book and one that I quite thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish！ Wilson is a talented author who certainly seems to really "get" dogs and loves them。 This would be right up just about any dog lover's alley， if you are looking for a good book to give as a gift！ 。。。more
Kristina
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What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is a cute story。 Ruby Heartwood is a traveling psychic。 She is looking for her next place to land when a rainstorm hits。 Ruby stops in by Lake Harmony in Harmony Farms for the night where something odd happens during a lightening strike。 The next morning， Ruby can hear someone outside。 It turns out to be a little dog and Ruby is “hearing” him inside her head。 Ruby signs up for the local Farmers’ Market and Markers Faire and adds “pet communicator” to her list of What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is a cute story。 Ruby Heartwood is a traveling psychic。 She is looking for her next place to land when a rainstorm hits。 Ruby stops in by Lake Harmony in Harmony Farms for the night where something odd happens during a lightening strike。 The next morning， Ruby can hear someone outside。 It turns out to be a little dog and Ruby is “hearing” him inside her head。 Ruby signs up for the local Farmers’ Market and Markers Faire and adds “pet communicator” to her list of skills。 This is the beginning of a new venture for Ruby where events conspire to keep her from leaving the bucolic town。 What a Dog Knows is well-written with an interesting group of characters and animals。 We learn Ruby’s history a little at a time。 I could certainly understand her nomadic existence and her desire to run when the going gets tough。 I loved the descriptions of the charming town。 There was a cozy house that I would love to live in。 Ruby being able to hear a dog’s thoughts was intriguing。 I would love to know what my pets are thinking except after bath time。 I thought the author captured the animals’ thoughts and feelings very well。 I enjoyed the chapters from Hitchhiker’s （Ruby’s dog） point-of-view。 I did feel the pacing was a little slow at times， and the story played out in an expected manner。 I still enjoyed reading this sweet story。 What a Dog Knows is a mesmerizing tale with hope， fear， family， courage， friends， romance， and lovable animals。 What a Dog Knows is a relaxing story that is great to read on a hot summer afternoon （preferably while relaxing by the pool）。 。。。more
Maria
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I'd love to know what my dog is thinking。 That's the best part of this book - learning what dogs think， feel， that they hate being carried in a bag。 The story was interesting enough and the idea that Ruby can help animals is intriguing。 My problem was with Ruby herself。 Yes， she had a rough start in life and she's doing what she can to make a living。 She seems nice enough。 I just didn't like how she reacted to so many different things; she acted like a brat at times and it rubbed me the wrong wa I'd love to know what my dog is thinking。 That's the best part of this book - learning what dogs think， feel， that they hate being carried in a bag。 The story was interesting enough and the idea that Ruby can help animals is intriguing。 My problem was with Ruby herself。 Yes， she had a rough start in life and she's doing what she can to make a living。 She seems nice enough。 I just didn't like how she reacted to so many different things; she acted like a brat at times and it rubbed me the wrong way。 Still， the story is good and would make a good beach read。I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tonya
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Ruby， a traveling psychic and animal communicator， has been on the road trying to "find herself" since she was 14。 Now an adult， with a grown daughter and grandkids， Ruby is trying to get answers on how she grew up in an orphanage and who placed her there。 In her travels， Ruby comes across a stray dog she names hitchhiker， and realizes she can hear the dog's thoughts。 I loved reading about Ruby's journey with her new found pet as she tries to find answers about her mom。 Is she alive？ Why was Rub Ruby， a traveling psychic and animal communicator， has been on the road trying to "find herself" since she was 14。 Now an adult， with a grown daughter and grandkids， Ruby is trying to get answers on how she grew up in an orphanage and who placed her there。 In her travels， Ruby comes across a stray dog she names hitchhiker， and realizes she can hear the dog's thoughts。 I loved reading about Ruby's journey with her new found pet as she tries to find answers about her mom。 Is she alive？ Why was Ruby left at an orphanage， etc？Such a great read！ I wish I had the ability to know what animals were thinking！ I was grateful to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book。 I can't wait to read more titles by this author！ 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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What a lovely book this is！ Ruby has been on the run since she left an orphanage in Canada at the age of 14。 She raised her daughter Sabine by using her psychic abilities in carnivals and other venues but now Sabine is married， a mom， and settled down and Ruby's still out there in her camper van。 Then one rainy night she stops ar a park and is found by a dog-a cavalier King Charles she names Hitchhiker and her world expands in a way she doesn't really understand。 Not only can she sudden ly commu What a lovely book this is！ Ruby has been on the run since she left an orphanage in Canada at the age of 14。 She raised her daughter Sabine by using her psychic abilities in carnivals and other venues but now Sabine is married， a mom， and settled down and Ruby's still out there in her camper van。 Then one rainy night she stops ar a park and is found by a dog-a cavalier King Charles she names Hitchhiker and her world expands in a way she doesn't really understand。 Not only can she sudden ly communicate with animals， she's found friends and has an odd desire to stay in one place for a while。 And she wants to find her mother。 Ruby's back story is not a pretty one and you've got to admire her grit。 Her telepathic and psychic abilities are wows- the small stories of the dogs （and a couple of horses） will make you both sad and happy。 Harmony Farms turns out to be much more than Ruby expected。 I loved this for the characters- not just Ruby and Hitch but also Polly， Bull， Boy the dog， and so on。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 Great storytelling snd a big heart made this an excellent read。 。。。more
Janet Graham
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What a Fantastic Story！I absolutely love this book。 I hated to put it down to go to sleep。 This is mostly Women's Fiction with a touch of 6th sense added in。 It is the life story of a young orphan。 The characters are believable and quite phenomenal。 Summer fairs and Ren Fests are presented so well that you can smell the aromas and hear the noise。 The desires pushing this woman are very well presented by dreams。 I want to read this book again to be sure I captured all of the subtle detail。 I will What a Fantastic Story！I absolutely love this book。 I hated to put it down to go to sleep。 This is mostly Women's Fiction with a touch of 6th sense added in。 It is the life story of a young orphan。 The characters are believable and quite phenomenal。 Summer fairs and Ren Fests are presented so well that you can smell the aromas and hear the noise。 The desires pushing this woman are very well presented by dreams。 I want to read this book again to be sure I captured all of the subtle detail。 I will certainly be watching for more books by this author。 I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Jessica | Women’s Fiction Obsessed
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*I was gifted a copy of What a Dog Knows by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review* This is the first book I've read by Susan Wilson and I was impressed！ She is now on my "favorite authors list"。 I loved reading things from a dogs perspective。 It made me with I could talk to my dog and read his thoughts。 I'm sure my dog would be thinking of ways to finally catch the pesky squirrel that teases him almost everyday。 I loved Harmony Farms。 It's a fictional town that I would live in if I could！ I *I was gifted a copy of What a Dog Knows by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review* This is the first book I've read by Susan Wilson and I was impressed！ She is now on my "favorite authors list"。 I loved reading things from a dogs perspective。 It made me with I could talk to my dog and read his thoughts。 I'm sure my dog would be thinking of ways to finally catch the pesky squirrel that teases him almost everyday。 I loved Harmony Farms。 It's a fictional town that I would live in if I could！ I enjoyed reading about the relationships formed with the main characters during the story。 If you are a dog lover， I highly recommend reading What a Dog Knows！ 。。。more
Sam Duncan
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The story of Ruby and Hitch is one you'll remember for a long time。 I honestly loved this book and was already recommending it to others before I was even half way through the book。 I loved the characters， they really seemed to come alive on the page。 The story itself， though predictable at times， keeps you hooked and reading until the very end。 A solid 4 stars for What a Dog Knows！ Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 The story of Ruby and Hitch is one you'll remember for a long time。 I honestly loved this book and was already recommending it to others before I was even half way through the book。 I loved the characters， they really seemed to come alive on the page。 The story itself， though predictable at times， keeps you hooked and reading until the very end。 A solid 4 stars for What a Dog Knows！ Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jeanne
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The title of this novel doesn't do it justice。 This is one unusual， emotional， interesting journey of taking chances and discovery。 Everything from the Dew Drop Inn & it's proprietor Ravi to Buck & Boy and Ruby， Doug and Hitch are characters who come alive in every page。 When I began reading I thought the 'talk to a dog' was going to be -- well-- stupid but it is smart and involving Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc The title of this novel doesn't do it justice。 This is one unusual， emotional， interesting journey of taking chances and discovery。 Everything from the Dew Drop Inn & it's proprietor Ravi to Buck & Boy and Ruby， Doug and Hitch are characters who come alive in every page。 When I began reading I thought the 'talk to a dog' was going to be -- well-- stupid but it is smart and involving Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc 。。。more
Leanna Mattea
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I’m a pushover， for a dog story， and this one pulled me right in。 A stray dog wanders into Ruby’s life， and “ Hitchhiker” brings joy to her life， as well as a special ability to communicate and hear what this dog has to say。 Consequently she discovers that she has the ability to communicate with other animals， so she adds “animal communicator” to her other gifts， tarot cards， reading tea leaves and palms， at local fairs and events。 Soon people are reaching out to her to help them find out what a I’m a pushover， for a dog story， and this one pulled me right in。 A stray dog wanders into Ruby’s life， and “ Hitchhiker” brings joy to her life， as well as a special ability to communicate and hear what this dog has to say。 Consequently she discovers that she has the ability to communicate with other animals， so she adds “animal communicator” to her other gifts， tarot cards， reading tea leaves and palms， at local fairs and events。 Soon people are reaching out to her to help them find out what ails their pets。Ruby has always been a wanderer， traveling the road to circuses and fairs， hoping someday to find the mother that left her at a Catholic orphanage， where she remained until she was 14， and ran away。This book by Susan Wilson has it all， humor， friendship， struggle and the search for roots and love。 She has developed wonderful characters that you will like and a couple that are very unlikable， I thank NetGalley， Susan Wilson and @StMartin’sPress for the ARC。 It’s one of the best I’ve read this year and I’m looking to check out her previous works。 。。。more
Jennifer
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I'm always attracted to books with dogs on the cover and this one turned out to be a winner。 I was completely wrapped up in the story of Ruby Heartswood， a traveling psychic。 With the exception of the years while she was raising her daughter （now grown and settled happily in one place w/ a spouse and 2 kids）， Ruby has always made sure that nothing and no one could pin her down in one place。 The open road calls strongly to her and she rejects the idea of "settling down" anywhere。 Ruby has a true I'm always attracted to books with dogs on the cover and this one turned out to be a winner。 I was completely wrapped up in the story of Ruby Heartswood， a traveling psychic。 With the exception of the years while she was raising her daughter （now grown and settled happily in one place w/ a spouse and 2 kids）， Ruby has always made sure that nothing and no one could pin her down in one place。 The open road calls strongly to her and she rejects the idea of "settling down" anywhere。 Ruby has a true psychic gift， one that apparently runs in her family since her daughter and now her granddaughter both seem to have inherited it， but Ruby herself was raised in a convent orphanage and has no idea of her actual family background。 One stormy night， while staying in a lakeside campground in her trusty van， Ruby connects with a little stray dog whom she nicknames "the Hitchhiker"。 Much to her surprise， she discovers that she can hear the dog's thoughts， then discovers that this new ability isn't limited just to HH， but seems to work with other dogs as well as other animals。 She has no intention of actually adopting HH， nor of staying in the small town near the lake， yet somehow， she inexplicably finds herself creating connections to others in town and whenever she tries to leave various coincidental events conspire to keep her in town。 Ruby slowly comes to realize that the answer to the most important question in her life， who her mother is， will somehow be connected to this small town where she has begun， no matter how unwillingly， to put down roots。 This book was charming and gentle。 Ruby was a lovely character， strong willed， smart， and independent。 She'd spent so many years alone， suppressing a caring nature that was crying out for deeper connections to others。 I believe in the possibility of psychic abilities so that aspect of the story was a plus， and I loved the little hitchhiker's thoughts。 If we could hear what dogs were thinking， I imagine their thoughts would be very much as depicted in this book - all surface， living for and in the moment， not looking forward， and wanting their humans to be happy and content。 I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story， not just dog lovers。 My thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Heather
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What a Dog Knows is the second book I've read by Susan Wilson， and also my favorite so far！It is the story of Ruby， a psychic who is losing her ability when she finds a dog that makes her realize that she now can read animals。 The dog won't leave her， so she names the dog Hitch， short for Hitchhiker， and starts advertising her services as an animal communicator while also trying to figure out her past。 She was raised in an orphanage and desperately wants to find her birth mother。 What a Dog Know What a Dog Knows is the second book I've read by Susan Wilson， and also my favorite so far！It is the story of Ruby， a psychic who is losing her ability when she finds a dog that makes her realize that she now can read animals。 The dog won't leave her， so she names the dog Hitch， short for Hitchhiker， and starts advertising her services as an animal communicator while also trying to figure out her past。 She was raised in an orphanage and desperately wants to find her birth mother。 What a Dog Knows is the story of love: both of the animal and family kind。 I was interested through the entire book， and as someone who has often considered hiring a dog medium， the entire novel was intriguing to me。 Great job， Susan Wilson！ Looking forward to your next book！ 。。。more
Diane
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A dear friend sent me an advance copy of this book。 I loved the story - and the writing style。 It's now a new favorite and I highly recommend it。 （Especially to animal lovers。） A dear friend sent me an advance copy of this book。 I loved the story - and the writing style。 It's now a new favorite and I highly recommend it。 （Especially to animal lovers。） 。。。more
Kristy Pinkley
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As a dog lover， I really enjoyed this story。 I love he idea of being able to communicate with animals through touch & believe people have this gift。 I found this a heartwarming story filled with hope despite a rough beginning for Ruby。 Great characters & highly recommend reading this book。
Renee
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When young Ruby， aka Mary Jones’s abilities become a perceived devil issue at the convent for orphaned girls， Ruby knows it’s time to get out of dodge。 As one decision leads to the next， Ruby finds herself in the care and tutelage of Madame Celestine who extorts Ruby for her psychic gifts and turns a blind eye when her son sexually assaults her leaving Ruby with little option other than to flee again and to raise a child effectively on the streets。 Flash forward， and we instantly fall in love wi When young Ruby， aka Mary Jones’s abilities become a perceived devil issue at the convent for orphaned girls， Ruby knows it’s time to get out of dodge。 As one decision leads to the next， Ruby finds herself in the care and tutelage of Madame Celestine who extorts Ruby for her psychic gifts and turns a blind eye when her son sexually assaults her leaving Ruby with little option other than to flee again and to raise a child effectively on the streets。 Flash forward， and we instantly fall in love with Ruby who has found herself at Harmony Farms and for every twist of fate conceivable finds herself unable to leave。 It is only when she finds her familiar， or rather， her familiar finds her in the form of a run-away cocker spaniel who she aptly names Hitchhiker， that Ruby realises she has been given a second gift and can communicate with animals。 Coincidently， it also appears that she has begun to have dreams of her mother and for whatever reason has the sense that the strange pull in Harmony Farms may be the key to her search。Narrated from a variety of perspectives， including that of Hitchhiker， there were many layers – past， present， future and dog， all adding to the rich tapestry of Ruby’s mystic life。 Survival， grit and determination were part of the key themes that were woven throughout and remarkably， there was never a sense of self-pity or indulgence in her misfortunes， and thus， Ruby’s love-ability grew from the fact that she simply got on with things without too much fuss or attachment。 Searching her whole life for that sense of belonging， Ruby’s carnival and psychic journey was one that had a sense of inevitability， and vicariously， she was able to explore the deep bond between people and their pets。 In many ways this was a complete delight， particularly Wilson’s interpretation of what would actually go on inside a dog， a donkey or a horses mind。 And despite her nomadic ways， her kind heart and generous spirit was a blessing to all whose lives she touched， and thus perhaps a lesson to all。 In many ways， this gentle read will call to those who have been abandoned by family， and Ruby’s first question of ‘why’ will definitely resonate。 Naturally， there was a romantic element that bubbled from seemingly nowhere and it appears that Ruby was able to put the pieces to her puzzle together once her connection with Hitchhiker had been made。 Overall， this is a wonderfully endearing story that was filled with light and warmth and irrespective of the fact that the majority of the book is set in the Summertime， it is definitely one of those reads that will suit a comfy couch， a snuggle blanket and a little faith that everything will work out perfectly in the end。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=What a Dog Knows
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=What a Dog Knows&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,What a Dog Knows&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0