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An unforgettable memoir about a life of adventure in the great outdoors and the power of a dog's transformative love

A tiny ad in a local newspaper catches Cédric Sapin-Defour’s eye: a litter of Bernese Mountain Dog puppies need homes. A lonely, single, sports teacher and mountain climber in the French Alps, Cédric visits the dogs and immediately falls for the puppy with a blue collar.

Named Ubac, French for the north side of the mountain – the rainy, cloudy slope – the puppy quickly upends Cédric’s life. They go on hikes together, taking to the hills and exploring, forging a bond that brings joy and a sense of fulfilment and adventure. They brave the world together, hate to be apart, crave the mountains and the natural world; they protect each other.

Over the course of thirteen years, their pack expands to include Mathilde, Cédric’s wife, and more dogs. Ubac and Me is an intimate meditation on a joyous life lived too fast, the aching pain of separation, and the transformative effect of unconditional love.

Ubac and Me has been a word-of-mouth sensation, selling over half a million copies in France.


‘Cédric Sapin-Defour’s celebration of the life of Ubac has made him a literary sensation’ Sunday Times

‘A tribute to the love humans feel for their pets’ Guardian

Translated by Adriana Hunter.

© Cédric Sapin-Defour 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025