Book review: ‘Henry’s Journal’

Cover of the book, ‘Henry’s Journal’
A rescued dog named Henry opines on life with his two humans in a funny and tender collection of essays.
By Sally Rosenthal

Henry’s Journal: I’m Pawt of the Family by Trish Hubschman. Independently published, 2026. Softcover, 143 pages.

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Meet Henry, a dog who was adopted by Trish Hubschman and her husband, Kevin, from a shelter on Long Island not long after their two beloved dogs had died. From the time he charmed them at the shelter, Henry knew he had met his family. In Henry’s Journal: I’m Pawt of the Family, Henry offers glimpses of family life from a canine perspective through a collection of essays that is funny, quirky, and tender.

Never one to mince words, Henry tells it like it is, whether he’s claiming a new recliner as his own or describing the joys of car rides. Beneath the humor, however, Henry’s Journal is a dog’s-eye look at how a rescued dog settles into family life despite some anxiety.

Anyone who loves dogs will find Henry’s Journal, with its slices of canine life, a lot of fun to read. Writing from an animal’s point of view is tricky. It can fall flat after a few pages or, as in Henry’s Journal, maintain its exuberance throughout the book.

Trish, also the author of the Tracy Gayle mysteries, clearly understands dogs in general and Henry in particular and proves it in this heartwarming collection.

Note: Trish Hubschman and this reviewer are members of Behind Our Eyes, an online organization of writers with disabilities. This reviewer did not benefit in any way from this review.

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