Sapin-Defour, Cédric: Ubac and Me

This international sensation is a charming and moving memoir of a dog’s transformative love, and an intimate journey into what heals us after loss.

“Having a dog as company makes nothing feel excessive—not time or space. It’s not even about passing time, but being of it.”

A tiny ad in a local newspaper catches Cedric Sapin-Defour’s eye: a litter of Bernese Mountain Dog puppies need homes. A lonely, single gym teacher and mountain climber in the French Alps, Cedric visits the dogs and immediately falls for a puppy with a blue collar who steps over his siblings to get to him.

Named Ubac, French for the north side of the mountain—the rainy, cloudy slope—the puppy quickly upends Cedric’s life. They go on hikes together, taking to the hills and exploring, forging a bond that brings joy and a sense of fulfillment 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, Cedric’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. A dog named for the rainy side of the mountain is an inspiring lesson in how walking the rocky, cloudy hills together can bring the greatest light, the sunniest joys, even if the shared journey is unbearably short.