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Because of a Dog

How an Enchanted Italian Village Mended a Broken Heart
By Matthew Sigman
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Brief Description
For readers of From Scratch and Marley and Me: After losing his beloved dog and nearly everything else, one man's accidental arrival in a remote Italian village leads to unexpected friendship, healing, and a new definition of home. One dog's love. One man's journey. When Matthew... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5400

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

For readers of From Scratch and Marley and Me: After losing his beloved dog and nearly everything else, one man's accidental arrival in a remote Italian village leads to unexpected friendship, healing, and a new definition of home.

One dog's love. One man's journey.

When Matthew Sigman's beloved dog, Augie, died, his world fell apart. His boyfriend broke up with him. His work dried up. Even the ceiling of his West Village apartment collapsed. Heartbroken and adrift, Matthew did the only thing he could—he ran.

An impulsive escape to Europe didn't lead to the cafes of Paris or the islands of Greece. Instead, thanks to a fluke in an Airbnb map, he landed in Quarna, a remote Italian mountain village seemingly hidden from tourists—and from time itself. There, amid winding cobblestone streets and alpine silence, Matthew stumbled into an unlikely friendship and madcap adventures with an exuberant innkeeper, Valerio, and discovered the warmth of a community that welcomed him as one of their own.

In Because of a Dog, Matthew traces a journey from profound grief to unexpected renewal, from isolation to connection. With wit, poignancy, and hard-won insight, this memoir is a reminder that sometimes, when all seems lost, it takes a village to mend a broken heart.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781464270178

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 September 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Sourcebooks, Inc

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 352

Collections

Biography & Memoir Grief & Loss Health & Wellness Matthew Sigman Non-Fiction Penguin Books Science & Nature Self-Help & Personal Development Travel & Adventure

About the Author

MATTHEW SIGMAN is an award-winning writer and editor for the performing arts. A three-time winner of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Music Journalism, he has contributed features, interviews, criticism, and commentary to Symphony, Opera News, American Theatre, Chorus America, Classical Music, and National Public Radio's Performance Today. Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, he received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from The Wharton School. He lives with his partner in New York City and frequently visits Quarna.

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