Pug Hill

Pug Hill is the smart and sweet story of one woman's search for happiness (and fearlessness) in the big city. You'll cheer for the witty and loveable Hope McNeill from page one. But be warned: not only will this book make you want to immediately buy Alison Pace's other work, you'll probably want to run out and adopt a pug.

Alison Pace is clearly a very talented writer. The way she draws you in from the first pages of Puf HIll is wonderful. Not only is this book laugh-out-loud funny, it is witty, thoughtful, and sweet. Pace spins an engaging and immensely enjoyable narrative which I really identified with personally. This book is pure joy. I highly recommend a visit to Pug Hill!

I picked this book up not only because I'm a dog lover, but because I loved Alison Pace's first book, IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND. I was not disappointed! Same smart, funny writing and a lovable protagonist that I rooted for all the way through. Great read.

I don't have words to express how much I LOVED Pug Hill! Not only is this book a fun, hilarious read, but the author really captured the essence of big city life -- for both people and pugs! As a New Yorker myself, I completely identified with Hope McNeil's (the heroine) hopes, fears, and insecurities. And I totally appreciated her wit -- it had me laughing aloud! I was also laughing aloud at the spot-on description of the pugs in the book. As a pug owner, I'm accustomed to all the little tricks pugs pull to get their way, and Alison Pace has captured those 100%. I cheered Hope McNeil on through the entirety of this book, I laughed at her snide New Yorker quips and her hilarious turn in public speaking class, and I cried when she made realizations about life, love and family that we all need to make in our own lives. The bottom line is that Pace has done something that few authors can do: She's written a book that's both entertaining and insightful. A book that makes you both laugh at your life and appreciate your life at the same time. (And of course the pugs are adorable!)

In Alison Pace's charming second novel PUG HILL, Metropolitan Museum of Art conservationist Hope McNeill is an endearingly neurotic basket case. She has a squash-playing boyfriend who she's not happy with, a coworker she's in (unrequited) love with, and a fear of public speaking, which suddenly becomes an issue when her parents call and ask her to give a speech for their 40th anniversary. Hope is like no other character in women's fiction. She loves the Zoloft commercial on TV and find comfort in its animated bouncing egg. Her narration is a constant stream of dead-on observations about dating and human nature that will make every reader smile broadly and nod in agreement at least once every few pages. And her main source of solace in Manhattan is Pug Hill, a grassy hill on Central Park's east side around 74th Street, where pugs from all over the city convene. No, Hope doesn't have a pug herself, but she finds peace, happiness and relaxation in watching the pugs romp and spin around without a care in the world. "For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany's," Hope says in the book's opening paragraph. "No matter what was going wrong in her life, she always had Tiffany's. For me, there's always Pug Hill." But even Pug Hill can't provide the solace Hope craves when she breaks up with the squash-playing Evan and decides to finally face her fear of public speaking by signing up for a course called Overcoming Presentation Anxiety, which meets on Thursday nights for the next six weeks. Her classmates are wacky (and one is even a cute guy!), and with the help of frequent visits to Pug Hill and a few embarrassments in class, Hope begins to discover a faith in herself that she never knew she had. Admirably, Pace doesn't make the class a cure-all, and Hope is still mired in many of her old insecurities, but watching her grow is refreshing. Readers will find themselves cheering Hope on as she attempts to work through her doubts and fears. Pace, the author of IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND (one of my favorite books!), has written an incredibly insightful book that is more about self-confidence, family struggles, dating and the issues that confront us all than it is about Hope herself or the specific obstacles she has to face. She has a uniquely singular writing style, and the inner voice that she gives Hope will resonate with anyone who has ever dealt with any sort of insecurity. "I'd like to think that the book has something to say about facing your fears, learning to believe in yourself, and not giving up even when you'd like to," Pace says. "I do think many of us have fears that get in the way of our development. And Hope, for as closed off as she can be, really does go after facing her fears." The ending, too, is perfectly written, surprising and satisfying. This book is a must-read. Holly Golightly may have had Tiffany's, and Hope McNeill may have had her place in Central Park where the pugs roam. But for me, when I need to feel a little comf