Praise For THE GOOD GOOD PIG

People Magazine's "Picks & Pans" Book

Booksense June Pick

New England Booksellers Association Bestseller

"Animal lovers, prepare to be seduced by Christopher Hogwood."
—USA Today

"The porcine Marley & Me."
—Wall Street Journal

"What makes THE GOOD GOOD PIG so much better than cute is Montgomery's loving and funny evocation of her dear departed 750-pound squeeze."
—O Magazine

"The lovely true tale of the enormous, amiable porcine personality."
—Christian Science Monitor

"Summer really isn't summer without one delightful true tale of a smelly yet charming pet."
—Chicago Tribune

"Grown-up fans of children's favorite Charlotte's Web won't be able to resist this grown-up story of a rescued piglet who achieves hog heaven on Earth."
—New York Post

"If pigs are bright, Christopher was a genius."
—Boston Globe

"Touching, deeply satisfying, even spiritual."
—Newsday

"It will change the way you look at humans' co-existence with animals."
—Rocky Mountain News

"A sweet and funny story...Keep a Kleenex handy."
—Charlotte Observer

"[A] unique and beautifully written memoir, already one of the most talked-about books of the summer."
—BookPage

"Montgomery's charming memoir might have you renouncing bacon for good."
—Minneapolis Star Tribune

"This is a book not so much about a barnyard animal as about relationships, in all their messy, joyous and heartbreaking complexity. In loving yet unsentimental prose, Sy Montgomery captures the richness animals bring to the human experience. Sometimes it takes a too-smart-for-his-own-good pig to open our eyes to what most matters in life. The Good Good Pig is a good, good book, beautifully rendered and filled with wondrous surprises. I will never forget Christopher Hogwood."
—John Grogan, author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

"I LOVE this book! It takes us into the world of one pig with such delicacy, such gentleness and yet such depth, that you will never be able to look a pig in the eye again without recognizing the unique person living within. You become somebody who sees why Sy Montgomery loved a pig beyond all measure. When you finish her book, so will you."
—Jeffrey Masson, Ph.D.,author of When Elephants Weep and The Pig who Sang to the Moon

"I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Sy Montgomery's story of Christopher the pig. The love affair between dogs and cats and people is richly documented. Pigs are another matter. What I found was a charming, touching, funny and ultimately very powerful tale of an extraordinary, even complicated pig and his impact on some very loving, perceptive and extraordinary people.  This story is heartwarming but packs a wallop. "THE GOOD GOOD PIG" is a very welcome and original addition to the best stories about the  remarkable bond between some people and some animals, and Sy Montgomery has done her pig well."
—Jon Katz, author of Katz on Dogs and The Dogs of Bedlam Farm

"Poetic, insightful, funny and deeply moving."
—Vicki Constantine Croke, author of The Lady and the Panda

“Entertaining, instructive, hilarious, and yes, heartwarming, this book is a Life Force. Christopher Hogwood now belongs to all of us.”
—Brenda Peterson, author of Build Me an Ark, Sister Stories, and Duck and Cover.

"Few writers--or human beings--fuse intelligence and heart as completely as Sy Montgomery. Her sentences are lush, exotic, thrilling. Her stories are fabulously odd and galvanizing. With THE GOOD, GOOD PIG, Sy brings us her greatest adventure of all--a grand cocktail of family, community, love, and wisdom that introduces one of the most indelible characters in recent literary history, the completely companionable and entirely self-effacing Christopher Hogwood."
—Beth Kephart, author of Ghosts in the Garden, Seeing Past Z, and Still Love in Strange Places

Praise from Random House Publishing Group:

“I loved THE GOOD GOOD PIG from the moment I read the proposal.  When we discussed the book in our editorial meeting everyone agreed that we had to buy it.  And the excitement for THE GOOD GOOD PIG just keeps growing and growing (like Christopher did).  I feel very lucky that I have the opportunity to spread the word about this wonderful wonderful book."
—Kim Hovey, Vice President, Director of Marketing

“I fell in love with a filthy pig!”
—Liz Greenbaum, Associate Manager, Ballantine Advertising & Promotion

“THE GOOD GOOD PIG is delightful.  Sy Montgomery’s story captured my heart by showing me that one can be fully content with the simple pleasures of life—corpulent, loveable pigs or just the ability to love and be loved. “
—Sabrina Singh, RHPG Associate

“THE GOOD GOOD PIG a celebratory tale about an unlikely hero, a creature with a larger-than-life personality and an appetite to match. Author Sy Montgomery brilliantly re-creates a universal underdog story that pulls at your heart strings and reminds you what’s important.”
—Christine Cabello, Deputy Director of Marketing

“I’ve already passed it on to three friends; all of them raced through it as they were so enthralled they did not want to put it down.”
—David Romine, Director of Distribution

“I cried and cried when THE GOOD GOOD PIG ended.  It's one of my favorite memoirs of all time.”
—Johanna Bowman, Assistant Editor 

“I am a huge Jon Katz fan and his dog books are among my favorite that I work on.  I was excited about THE GOOD GOOD PIG before I read it, but was unprepared for the richness of Montgomery’s story.  Since she is a science writer, the story of Christopher Hogwood not only made me laugh and tug at my heartstrings, but also was placed in the larger context of our relationship with the animal kingdom.”
—Brian McLendon, Deputy Director of Publicity

"I am a Christopher Hogwood fan!  (The conductor and his namesake pig).  I cannot think of a better way to spend the afternoon than getting to know this delightful and very charming pig and his human and canine companions!  And I don't think I will ever look at a spa treatment the same way again after reading about Christopher and the infamous 'pig spa'."
—Kelle Ruden, Associate Director, Sales Marketing

Praise from Sales Reps

“THE GOOD GOOD PIG is a delightful little book that will warm your heart and you won't find a more endearing personality than Christopher Hogwood.  Reading this book is a wonderful experience that will make you make you think about all the people (and animals) in your life that have touched you in a special way.  This book is a gem that deserves to be cared for and cherished.”
—Lori Zook, Director, Telephone Sales and Account Development, RH, Inc.

“Lori Zook recommended I read this manuscript, as she knows I am the resident animal lover here in telemarketing. This is the story of how this one special pig affected a family and a community. It is sad and funny and heart-warming, and I highly recommend it for both adults and YA readers. It's a small book you can read in an afternoon, so it's approachable for young and old readers. It's a book about how one special personality can affect so many lives and can bring people who would never have known one another together.

Read THE GOOD GOOD PIG and then go hug your dog, cat, hamster, pig, whatever...you'll love and appreciate them like never before.”
—Camille Marchi, Telephone Sales, RH, Inc.

“THE GOOD GOOD PIG has a chance to be a huge bestseller because it speaks to ANY reader at the most basic level- the soft spot in your heart. It is a warm, joyous book about how the lives of so many people were touched and enriched by Christopher Hogwood, a black & white spotted pig with a large appetite for exploring and all leftovers (except apparently onions, citrus and cabbage).

What helps make this special is the fact that it also works well as a memoir dovetailing Christopher's 14 year life with the arc of Sy's own life, marriage and career (she is a science writer who researches rare animals in exotic places around the world - maneating tigers, dolphins, gorillas, snakes...) The people in the book are no less fascinating than the animals. Her husband Howard Mansfield writes histories of architecture and preservation -they chose not to have children. Her best friend and mentor is Elizabeth Thomas, author of the bestselling Hidden Life of Dogs. Sy also works her family and its odd history into the storyline in a moving way.
And of course we learn much about the science of pigs and their lore.

I should add that she & Howard also adopt Tess, an abused border collie whose timeline corresponds with Hogwood- so this is inspiring tear jerker for dog lovers too. (Not to mention "The Ladies"- a dozen hens they were given.)

Still of course Chris is the star and the book features his exploits. One of the cool parts is how all these people from all over town (and local restaurants) save their scraps to bring over to feed Chris and watch him eat.

I guess I go on long enough. Read this surprisingly good book, dry your eyes and then go hug whatever pets you have because Sy Montgomery will have you appreciating the gifts they bring more than ever.”
—Bill Andrews, District Sales Manager Maine & New Hampshire