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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Sophie From Romania is Rory Cellan-Jones’s memoir about adopting a fearful Romanian rescue dog with his wife, Diane Coyle, and the patience involved in helping her settle in. The publisher also connects Sophie’s story with Cellan-Jones’s Parkinson’s diagnosis and his memories of the family’s collie, Cabbage. That makes the book’s focus broader than dog training: it is a personal account of adoption, trust and family life.
What is Sophie From Romania about?
Penguin Random House UK describes the book as the story of Cellan-Jones and Coyle welcoming Sophie, who arrived from Central Europe shortly before Christmas. The adoption followed the loss of their elderly collie, Cabbage. Sophie is anxious in her new home; the account follows the gradual emergence of play and trips outside, as the couple work with a dog trainer. The publisher’s description also links Cellan-Jones’s experience of Parkinson’s with his relationship to walking with his former dog.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Sophie From Romania: What a rescue dog taught me about patience, love and hope | $18.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home | $21.27 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir | $24.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Sightseeing Sophie in London | $75.40 | Buy on Amazon |
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Promenade of Desire: A Barcelona Memoir | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The publisher’s framing is captured in its line, “What a rescue dog taught me about patience, love and hope.” It presents the book as a memoir and an adoption story, not as a step-by-step training handbook. Readers seeking practical instructions for managing canine anxiety should not assume the book is a substitute for specialist guidance.
What kind of reading experience should you expect?
The central subject is the slow work of helping a fearful dog feel safe and at home, alongside the effect that experience has on the people who adopt her. A Foyles-hosted reader review says Sophie spent more than four weeks hiding behind a sofa; that detail belongs to the reviewer’s account, rather than the publisher’s synopsis. The official description establishes the intended themes, but cannot by itself establish how successfully the book handles its pacing, narrative balance or emotional impact.
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Cellan-Jones’s health and the family’s grief over Cabbage form part of the context, rather than evidence that the book is solely about Parkinson’s or solely about dog behaviour. Readers interested in how those threads are developed will need to judge their balance in the book itself.
Who is the book for?
- Consider it if you enjoy personal animal memoirs, rescue-adoption stories, or accounts of building trust with a wary pet.
- It may not be the right fit if you want a structured training manual with techniques, exercises and a behaviour plan; the publisher does not describe it that way.
- It may also interest readers who want to read about the adoption alongside Cellan-Jones’s Parkinson’s and the family’s experience of losing Cabbage.
UK editions and paperback details
Penguin Random House UK lists paperback, ebook and audio download editions. Its UK paperback listing gives the following details:
Rank #2
- From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home
| Detail | UK paperback listing |
|---|---|
| ISBN | 9781529918595 |
| Publication date | 11 September 2025 |
| Length | 320 pages |
| Listed price | £10.99 on the publisher’s UK catalogue page; price and availability can change |
The publisher’s edition page lists retailers including Amazon, Blackwell’s, Bookshop.org, Foyles, Hive, TGJones and Waterstones. Check the retailer for current price, stock and the edition available in your region. The Goodreads catalogue separately lists a hardcover dated 10 October 2024 at 304 pages; edition-specific catalogue records can differ, so the details above refer only to the UK paperback listing.
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For the publisher’s synopsis and edition information, see Penguin Random House UK’s book page. Cellan-Jones also wrote about publication in “On Tour With Sophie”.
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Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
