Readers often tell me they love the dogs of Wren Island. I love them so much too!
Louise sniffed the line of debris zigzagging the beach after high tide, then ran into the forest, probably after a squirrel or rabbit. No need to worry. The dog could run for acres and stay on her home turf.
Allison walked slowly with Lokita, letting her navigate driftwood, rocks, and clumps of seaweed at her own pace. They climbed the slope of dune grass and the rocky path above it, passed between the pair of concrete lions stationed as imaginary lookouts, and met a panting, happy Louise at the sheltered front door.
Interesting Enough, chapter 1
Allison’s dogs Lokita and Louise are based on two dogs I loved while writing the first Wren Island novel, Interesting Enough. Louise is based on my dog Rosie, who provided the initial inspiration for my promise to readers that dogs on Wren Island will live forever.
As a puppy, Rosie was found as a stray in rural Texas, with injuries suggesting she’d been used for wild boar hunting. She lived in three foster homes before we adopted her. She spent the first forty-eight hours in our home hiding in her crate and the first week with us avoiding eye contact. Within months of her adoption, she was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect—one that at two years old she’d already defied the odds of surviving. So she underwent major surgery, then a complicated recovery. Just when we’d all started feeling like our heads were above water, we lost Rosie’s best pal, Moki (the inspiration for Lokita of Wren Island).
Rosie’s Wren Island doppelgänger is named after an author I admire very much, Louise Penny. While writing Interesting Enough, I often accidentally called Rosie “Louise!”
This gorgeous portrait of Louise is by the talented Tessa Burns, who also created our lovely Wren Island map.
On Wren Island, Louise’s best pal is little Lokita.
The shelter staff said Louise and Lokita weren’t bonded when they arrived. But by hovering protectively, Louise convinced everyone she and the smaller, blind Lokita needed to stay together.
Interesting Enough, chapter 1
(Wren Islanders get behind-the-scenes peeks like this directly in their inboxes! Become a Wren Islander.)