Sophie from Romania: A Year of Love and Hope with a Rescue Dog

By Rory Jones

'Fills my heart with so much joy' Niall Harbison, bestselling author of Hope
'In a dark time, a daily dose of hope' Jojo Moyes

How do you welcome someone new into your heart and home? A week before Christmas, newly retired BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones receives a special delivery that will change his life.

This is the story of rescue dog #SophieFromRomania.

In January 2022, the Cellan-Jones-Coyle family said goodbye to their beloved elderly Collie cross, Cabbage. She and Rory had become inseparable during daily pandemic walks, which alleviated his Parkinson's symptoms. After a grief-stricken year, Rory and his wife Diane come across a listing for 'a kind girl who loves everybody and is just looking for her forever home'.

Bright-eyed, big-eared and trembling, Sophie arrives in London on 17 December 2022. Rory holds the Romanian rescue in his arms, excited for their first walk together - but the road ahead will be a long one . . . This book follows the real journey of Sophie's adoption - from her battles with anxiety, to the joys of play and her first time outside - as Rory and Diane work with expert dog trainer Si to win Sophie's trust and navigate Rory's Parkinson's disease.

This is a moving story of love, kindness and a lot of patience, paying tribute to rescue dogs and their tender community.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1529918596
• ISBN13: 9781529918595
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: Vintage
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.