The Hour of the Wolf

From acclaimed journalist and novelist Fatima Bhutto, a searing, intimate memoir of grief, heartbreak, and what we owe the natural world – all learned from the dog who saved her life.

Only a teenager when her beloved father was murdered, shot outside their home by his political opponents, as an adult, Fatima Bhutto longed for a happy family life. And so when one day she meets an intoxicatingly charismatic man who promises just that, she falls for him – and falls hard.

This is the story of how Fatima freed herself from the tight, dangerous coils of the man’s manipulative charm. It’s a tale that crosses continents, travels into myth, literature, astronomy and art, and explores Fatima’s own yearning for motherhood. By her side for the entire journey is Coco: a small, ferociously loyal Jack Russell terrier.

Heartbreaking yet hopeful, this kaleidoscopic memoir is a testament to resilience, self-acceptance, the restorative power of friendship, and humanity’s connection to nature.

Bhutto explores the quiet devastations of love, and what happens when we wait for a change that never comes. I saw myself in this story and I know many others will too.’ Rupi Kaur

‘Erudite and deeply moving, a memoir that is also the song you sing to make yourself brave.’ Alexander Chee

‘With otherworldly tenderness and the help of her Jack Russell terrier, Fatima Bhutto moves on from a cruel romance. In the breathtaking The Hour of the Wolf, we see her learning to connect to the natural world and her own desires, proving to herself that love has the power to drive away fear.’ Ada Calhoun

‘The Hour of the Wolf is Fatima Bhutto’s most powerful book yet, written with unflinching honesty and deep intellectual curiosity. It is a quietly remarkable work from one of our most searching writers. Prepare to be undone.’ Sonia Faleiro

‘Only wilding through hell does one emerge with such unapologetic tenderness, earnest regard, such knowledge beneath what we call knowledge . . . I am an ardent student of Bhutto’s vision.’ Kaveh Akbar

‘A tender and exquisite story of love held in the safekeeping of a dog’s vast heart.’ Jay Griffiths