Pug Hill (Paperback)

by Alison Pace (Author) "For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany's..." (more)
Key Phrases: pug hill, video camera guy, many pugs, Beth Anne, New York, Benji Brown (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Hope McNeil is an art restorer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. At 31, she thinks she should be getting married and having kids, but she doesn't like the guy she met via online dating, she has a crush on a coworker, and her parents have asked her to make a speech at their fortieth wedding anniversary celebration despite her terror of public speaking. Her favorite place is Pug Hill in Central Park, where pug fanciers bring their dogs to frolic. Hope doesn't have her own pug but always feels revitalized just by watching the dogs at play. Signing up for a class on overcoming presentation anxiety, Hope meets quirky people with unusual problems who she wouldn't have encountered elsewhere and is motivated to try to figure out what she wants in life. Pace's very leisurely chick-lit novel is at its best when Hope is surrounded by dogs, and its neatly wrapped-up conclusion does promise love. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
There's a terrific comedic eye at work here, and a tender heart --a most satisfying combination. -- Elinor Lipman, author of The Inn at Lake Devine and My Latest Grievance

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425209717
• ISBN-13: 978-0425209714
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #188,504 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars loved this book!, June 6, 2006

By	Book Fiend (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

I picked this book up not only because I'm a dog lover, but because I loved Alison Pace's first book, IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND. I was not disappointed! Same smart, funny writing and a lovable protagonist that I rooted for all the way through. Great read.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pug Hill review from The Daily Buzz's Lit Chick, May 3, 2006

By	Kristin D. Harmel "Kristin Harmel (author)" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In Alison Pace's charming second novel PUG HILL, Metropolitan Museum of Art conservationist Hope McNeill is an endearingly neurotic basket case. She has a squash-playing boyfriend who she's not happy with, a coworker she's in (unrequited) love with, and a fear of public speaking, which suddenly becomes an issue when her parents call and ask her to give a speech for their 40th anniversary.

Hope is like no other character in women's fiction. She loves the Zoloft commercial on TV and find comfort in its animated bouncing egg. Her narration is a constant stream of dead-on observations about dating and human nature that will make every reader smile broadly and nod in agreement at least once every few pages. And her main source of solace in Manhattan is Pug Hill, a grassy hill on Central Park's east side around 74th Street, where pugs from all over the city convene. No, Hope doesn't have a pug herself, but she finds peace, happiness and relaxation in watching the pugs romp and spin around without a care in the world.

"For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany's," Hope says in the book's opening paragraph. "No matter what was going wrong in her life, she always had Tiffany's. For me, there's always Pug Hill."

But even Pug Hill can't provide the solace Hope craves when she breaks up with the squash-playing Evan and decides to finally face her fear of public speaking by signing up for a course called Overcoming Presentation Anxiety, which meets on Thursday nights for the next six weeks. Her classmates are wacky (and one is even a cute guy!), and with the help of frequent visits to Pug Hill and a few embarrassments in class, Hope begins to discover a faith in herself that she never knew she had. Admirably, Pace doesn't make the class a cure-all, and Hope is still mired in many of her old insecurities, but watching her grow is refreshing. Readers will find themselves cheering Hope on as she attempts to work through her doubts and fears.

Pace, the author of IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND (one of my favorite books!), has written an incredibly insightful book that is more about self-confidence, family struggles, dating and the issues that confront us all than it is about Hope herself or the specific obstacles she has to face. She has a uniquely singular writing style, and the inner voice that she gives Hope will resonate with anyone who has ever dealt with any sort of insecurity.

"I'd like to think that the book has something to say about facing your fears, learning to believe in yourself, and not giving up even when you'd like to," Pace says. "I do think many of us have fears that get in the way of our development. And Hope, for as closed off as she can be, really does go after facing her fears."

The ending, too, is perfectly written, surprising and satisfying.

This book is a must-read. Holly Golightly may have had Tiffany's, and Hope McNeill may have had her place in Central Park where the pugs roam. But for me, when I need to feel a little comforted, I'll always have Alison Pace's PUG HILL.

Also recommended: If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend (Alison Pace), Milkrun (Sarah Mlynowski), Killer Summer (Lynda Curnyn), The Breakup Club (Melissa Senate) and How to Sleep With a Movie Star (by me . . . Kristin Harmel)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and increadibly enjoyable! , June 12, 2006

By	A. Costanzo "Savvy Reader" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alison Pace is clearly a very talented writer. The way she draws you in from the first pages of Puf HIll is wonderful. Not only is this book laugh-out-loud funny, it is witty, thoughtful, and sweet. Pace spins an engaging and immensely enjoyable narrative which I really identified with personally. This book is pure joy. I highly recommend a visit to Pug Hill!