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Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family
For families and animal lovers everywhere, Katie Up and Down the Hall is the transcendent tale of how three generations of strangers and an astutely intelligent dog create their own little family in a waterside community along the Hudson River.
It all begins with a random meeting between a younger man and his octogenarian neighbor, Pearl, their attachment cemented by a blond-haired puppy. It isn't long before writer Glenn Plaskin, Pearl, and her husband, Arthur, form a profound bond that blesses all in its sphere. This includes a three-year-old boy named Ryan and his single dad, John, who also happen to be living down the same hallway in a downtown Manhattan high-rise, just opposite the World Trade Center.
The group gravitates around Katie, the magnetic cocker spaniel whose domain is a 120-foot red-carpeted hallway the site of dog races, obedience training sessions, Halloween parades, and a passageway to parties and late-night exchanges of confidences. With an uncanny instinct for responding to the needs of her pack, Katie merrily trots up and down her territory, navigating from apartment to apartment, pushing open the doors purposefully left ajar and bringing the entire group together. Her canine antics include fashion modeling, using the TV remote, typing, sitting posture-perfect at the dining table (her paws delicately around her food bowl), expertly eating corn on the cob, charming celebrities (Katharine Hepburn, Peter Jennings, Bette Midler, and Ivana Trump among them), and racing neighborhood kids down the hallway.
Pearl, nicknamed Granny Down the Hall, is the family s feisty matriarch (and referee), her dining table home base. Ryan, who has no mom, finds a grandmother in Pearl; his dad, with no living parents, inherits a mom; while Glenn discovers a confidante.
Over the next sixteen years, we witness adventures that encompass Hollywood high times, bad health, accidents, even the terrors of 9/11, brought to life here as never before. Through it all, this family clings together, sharing a deep bond that gives each comfort, support, and security.
But nothing lasts forever nothing except the abiding love of family, which can never be broken apart, even by the inevitability of separation, illness, and death. Based on a widely read article in Family Circle, here is a riveting tale about the true meaning of love and the magic of opening your door to a neighbor, turning friendship to family.
It all begins with a random meeting between a younger man and his octogenarian neighbor, Pearl, their attachment cemented by a blond-haired puppy. It isn't long before writer Glenn Plaskin, Pearl, and her husband, Arthur, form a profound bond that blesses all in its sphere. This includes a three-year-old boy named Ryan and his single dad, John, who also happen to be living down the same hallway in a downtown Manhattan high-rise, just opposite the World Trade Center.
The group gravitates around Katie, the magnetic cocker spaniel whose domain is a 120-foot red-carpeted hallway the site of dog races, obedience training sessions, Halloween parades, and a passageway to parties and late-night exchanges of confidences. With an uncanny instinct for responding to the needs of her pack, Katie merrily trots up and down her territory, navigating from apartment to apartment, pushing open the doors purposefully left ajar and bringing the entire group together. Her canine antics include fashion modeling, using the TV remote, typing, sitting posture-perfect at the dining table (her paws delicately around her food bowl), expertly eating corn on the cob, charming celebrities (Katharine Hepburn, Peter Jennings, Bette Midler, and Ivana Trump among them), and racing neighborhood kids down the hallway.
Pearl, nicknamed Granny Down the Hall, is the family s feisty matriarch (and referee), her dining table home base. Ryan, who has no mom, finds a grandmother in Pearl; his dad, with no living parents, inherits a mom; while Glenn discovers a confidante.
Over the next sixteen years, we witness adventures that encompass Hollywood high times, bad health, accidents, even the terrors of 9/11, brought to life here as never before. Through it all, this family clings together, sharing a deep bond that gives each comfort, support, and security.
But nothing lasts forever nothing except the abiding love of family, which can never be broken apart, even by the inevitability of separation, illness, and death. Based on a widely read article in Family Circle, here is a riveting tale about the true meaning of love and the magic of opening your door to a neighbor, turning friendship to family.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
25 people are currently reading
2056 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Plaskin
23 books15 followersVeteran journalist and celebrity interviewer Glenn Plaskin is the bestselling author of Horowitz: The Biography of Vladimir Horowitz and Turning Point: Pivotal Moments in the Lives of America’s Celebrities. His profiles and columns have appeared in the New York Times, the Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Family Circle, US Weekly, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, W, and Playboy.
His interview subjects have included such figures as Katharine Hepburn, Nancy Reagan, Calvin Klein, Senator Edward Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Leona Helmsley, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Donald Trump, Al Pacino, and Meryl Streep. His TV appearances include The Today Show, Oprah, and Larry King Live. He lives in New York City. Visit the author’s website and read the full story at www.glennplaskin.com.
A native of Buffalo, N.Y. Plaskin was first trained as a classical pianist, studying under the renowned Kennedy Center honoree Leon Fleisher. With a dramatic change of career in his mid-20’s, he began writing culture profiles for the New York Times, securing his first book contract at age 26.
He was encouraged in his writing by then-Doubleday editor Jacqueline Onassis, who would later write: “I’ve known Glenn for some years and am his great admirer. He’s witty, articulate, and has this uncanny ability to draw people out and gain their confidence.”
His literary debut was a cause célèbre—the first-ever biography of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz—published in the U.S., Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, and Finland.
Plaskin’s Horowitz book was hailed by the New York Times as “a well-researched biography that will throw much light on Horowitz the man and the artist.” The Los Angeles Times opined: “It is done well, even masterfully.” The Chicago Tribune: “An absorbing well-written and well-balanced portrait…as delicious as a good detective thriller.”
Thereafter, the author established himself as one of the nation’s leading celebrity interviewers. As the Celebrity Service International wrote: “When it comes to the brutally competitive world of celebrity journalism, no one is more successful at nailing down the big names than entertainment reporter Glenn Plaskin.”
Among Plaskin’s interviews with film stars, politicians, TV personalities, and media figures are classic profiles of Harrison Ford, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Mary Tyler Moore, Peter Jennings, Danielle Steel, Paul Newman, Carol Burnett, Leona Helmsley, Christopher Reeve, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Bill Gates, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, Mike Wallace, among hundreds of others.
In recent years, Plaskin has gone beyond celebrity interviewing to writing articles and books focused on service, self-help, and inspiration. He has worked with many of the leading figures in this genre. Read the Celebrity Testimonials
“Glenn,” writes Susan Ungaro, the magazine’s former editor-in-chief, “is a master at celebrity interviews and service journalism—with a true gift for creating a compelling story that grips the reader from beginning to end.”
Plaskin, a resident of Battery Park City, is surrounded by more than 500 dogs in Lower Manhattan neighborhood, a waterside community that inspired this book and the remarkable events in it.
His interview subjects have included such figures as Katharine Hepburn, Nancy Reagan, Calvin Klein, Senator Edward Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Leona Helmsley, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Donald Trump, Al Pacino, and Meryl Streep. His TV appearances include The Today Show, Oprah, and Larry King Live. He lives in New York City. Visit the author’s website and read the full story at www.glennplaskin.com.
A native of Buffalo, N.Y. Plaskin was first trained as a classical pianist, studying under the renowned Kennedy Center honoree Leon Fleisher. With a dramatic change of career in his mid-20’s, he began writing culture profiles for the New York Times, securing his first book contract at age 26.
He was encouraged in his writing by then-Doubleday editor Jacqueline Onassis, who would later write: “I’ve known Glenn for some years and am his great admirer. He’s witty, articulate, and has this uncanny ability to draw people out and gain their confidence.”
His literary debut was a cause célèbre—the first-ever biography of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz—published in the U.S., Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, and Finland.
Plaskin’s Horowitz book was hailed by the New York Times as “a well-researched biography that will throw much light on Horowitz the man and the artist.” The Los Angeles Times opined: “It is done well, even masterfully.” The Chicago Tribune: “An absorbing well-written and well-balanced portrait…as delicious as a good detective thriller.”
Thereafter, the author established himself as one of the nation’s leading celebrity interviewers. As the Celebrity Service International wrote: “When it comes to the brutally competitive world of celebrity journalism, no one is more successful at nailing down the big names than entertainment reporter Glenn Plaskin.”
Among Plaskin’s interviews with film stars, politicians, TV personalities, and media figures are classic profiles of Harrison Ford, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Mary Tyler Moore, Peter Jennings, Danielle Steel, Paul Newman, Carol Burnett, Leona Helmsley, Christopher Reeve, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Bill Gates, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, Mike Wallace, among hundreds of others.
In recent years, Plaskin has gone beyond celebrity interviewing to writing articles and books focused on service, self-help, and inspiration. He has worked with many of the leading figures in this genre. Read the Celebrity Testimonials
“Glenn,” writes Susan Ungaro, the magazine’s former editor-in-chief, “is a master at celebrity interviews and service journalism—with a true gift for creating a compelling story that grips the reader from beginning to end.”
Plaskin, a resident of Battery Park City, is surrounded by more than 500 dogs in Lower Manhattan neighborhood, a waterside community that inspired this book and the remarkable events in it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
November 30, 2022
Amazing, inspiring story about a cocker spaniel, Katie, who turned five neighbors into a family. Highly recommend!
Glenn Plaskin is an incredible author. I am putting his other books on my TBR list today.
The book starts with a description of Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. I worked a block from the World Trade Center towers for 7 years and spent a lot of time at Battery Park City. It was built with the excavated dirt from the construction of the Twin Towers. Battery Park City has incredible up-close views of the statue of Liberty, spectacular Hudson River sunsets, and an incredible Esplanade that is over a mile of paved walkways and parks. It is a miniature, breathtaking oasis.
Plaskin had me at "hello" with the first chapter. I was hooked and kept reading the book in one sitting until I finished it.
Plaskin did not have a dog when he was a child. As an adult, for twenty five years his "To Do" list included GET A DOG! He tried one dog for one night and then returned it. Then he borrowed a friend's cocker spaniel (like rent-a-dog) and decided to locate a cocker spaniel for himself.
Plaskin lived in a high rise apartment with a 120 foot hallway. He was introduced to an elderly couple whose cocker spaniel had recently died. Katie became a "shared" dog with Plaskin and his neighbors. Then a single dad and his young son moved onto the same floor and they also became part of Katie's extended family.
The book covers sixteen years of this very unique and special family environment, including 9/11 which displaced residents of Battery Park City for over seven weeks.
Powerful, heart wrenching, and memorable. Have some Kleenex handy.
Strongly recommend!
Glenn Plaskin is an incredible author. I am putting his other books on my TBR list today.
The book starts with a description of Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. I worked a block from the World Trade Center towers for 7 years and spent a lot of time at Battery Park City. It was built with the excavated dirt from the construction of the Twin Towers. Battery Park City has incredible up-close views of the statue of Liberty, spectacular Hudson River sunsets, and an incredible Esplanade that is over a mile of paved walkways and parks. It is a miniature, breathtaking oasis.
Plaskin had me at "hello" with the first chapter. I was hooked and kept reading the book in one sitting until I finished it.
Plaskin did not have a dog when he was a child. As an adult, for twenty five years his "To Do" list included GET A DOG! He tried one dog for one night and then returned it. Then he borrowed a friend's cocker spaniel (like rent-a-dog) and decided to locate a cocker spaniel for himself.
Plaskin lived in a high rise apartment with a 120 foot hallway. He was introduced to an elderly couple whose cocker spaniel had recently died. Katie became a "shared" dog with Plaskin and his neighbors. Then a single dad and his young son moved onto the same floor and they also became part of Katie's extended family.
The book covers sixteen years of this very unique and special family environment, including 9/11 which displaced residents of Battery Park City for over seven weeks.
Powerful, heart wrenching, and memorable. Have some Kleenex handy.
Strongly recommend!
November 30, 2013
Seeing as I love my sweet dog as much as this author loved Katie, I absolutely loved this book. I cried, I laughed and just had a good time reading the whole story. If you're a dog lover or just an animal lover in general, read this book.
April 15, 2019
Sweet story about neighbors evolving into close family all at the "paws" of a loving cocker spaniel who saw the need for belonging and love in each life she touched. As time passes and people move on, the bittersweet lesson of losing loved ones but never losing the love you shared with them is learned. This story helps you realize just how important human and animal relationships are in our lives as it is through them that we learn how to love and experience unexplicable joy in our lives! Yes, it's a tear jerker, so cuddle up with your box of tissue and your trusty canine by your side and enjoy reading all about how Katie changed so many lives with her playful antics up and down the hall!
May 18, 2017
Glenn got Katie when he moved into a brand new high rise apartment building on the tip of Manhattan, and he did everything right: training, grooming, walks, food, treats (although maybe too much people food). As a journalist he works from home but travels too, and finds that his elderly neighbors, Pearl and Arthur, are always happy to have Katie at their place. Then John and his 3-year-old son move into the same hallway, and little Ryan encourages Katie's playfulness. When 9/11 happens the "family" is split up, but they continue to care for each other and for Katie until her death. A very special story.
November 6, 2011
I must admit, I originally picked this book up because of the cute Cocker Spaniel on the cover and I have a lovely Cocker of my own :-) Also, I have quite a penchant for memoirs- especially dog oriented ones.
This book really made me laugh, smile, cry and constantly stop to blow my nose all at the same time. Most things don't make me do all of that. It really showcases the healing power that dogs have with people and how they bring the most unlikely of people together. I know my own dog has done the same thing and if it weren't for her- I don't think I'd know as many of my neighbors and their dogs. I wouldn't be dogsitting my middle-aged, 60s activist neighbor's dog right now if it weren't for her.
I really related to it since my dog has a lot of similar qualities to Katie, although she hasn't been smuggled into hospitals and TV studios! Dogs really do become more than sources of amusement, they become family members teach you so many life lessons that you wouldn't expect. Plaskin showcased that throughout the book.
This book really made me laugh, smile, cry and constantly stop to blow my nose all at the same time. Most things don't make me do all of that. It really showcases the healing power that dogs have with people and how they bring the most unlikely of people together. I know my own dog has done the same thing and if it weren't for her- I don't think I'd know as many of my neighbors and their dogs. I wouldn't be dogsitting my middle-aged, 60s activist neighbor's dog right now if it weren't for her.
I really related to it since my dog has a lot of similar qualities to Katie, although she hasn't been smuggled into hospitals and TV studios! Dogs really do become more than sources of amusement, they become family members teach you so many life lessons that you wouldn't expect. Plaskin showcased that throughout the book.
October 2, 2010
If you know me, you know I love all animals, and that I've been rescuing dogs, cats, and parrots for years. Despite that, I just couldn't get into this book. I couldn't relate to the neurotic author who started out afraid of dogs, and wasn't excited by the celebrity anecdotes. I much preferred "Homer's Odyssey" in the genre, "I'm a New Yorker who survived 9/11 with my special pet", although it's obvious YMMV because I'm the only person here who isn't in love with "Katie Up and Down the Hall".
December 8, 2017
I read this book at least a couple of years ago. I don’t know why it wasn’t in my read history. But I remember, it was a very good, cute book. Definitely worth reading.
June 3, 2016
2 stars.
This is a nonfiction memoir about a man and his runt of a dog and how this dog wiggled its way into the lives of other families on the same floor. It was a sweet story, but this book was just okay for me and even that seems generous. There were more things that bugged me more than things I liked. I won't delve into that because I never do for nonfiction autobiographies/memoirs. I feel if people want to get their story out there, than more power to them. Overall, this wasn't my kind of book.......cute dog though.
October 6, 2010
I loved this book. It will make you smile, laugh, and occasionally cry. It was a great story about the bond between a man and his dog. But it was more than just a standard cute dog story. It is a saga about neighbors and how we should connect. Katie brings neighbors together to form her little family. It is a touching story of friendship, both human and canine. I recieved this book free through Goodreads First Reads.
July 17, 2014
I loved this book! It is totally a break away from my usual books, but who doesn't love a sweet story about a man and his dog? What I loved is the relationships that were built due to Katie, and how several people in an apartment building became like family. Plaskin really tells his story well, and I felt like I knew Katie, Pearl, Glenn, John, and Ryan. Yes, there were times I balled, but this was not a "sad" story. It really is uplifting, though it does have upsetting moments.
June 20, 2011
I had heard about this book from a magazine I had been reading and was very interested in what it was about.
It made me cry!
This book truly shows how deep man's best friend connection is with an animal and how they are there for you no matter what.
It made me cry!
This book truly shows how deep man's best friend connection is with an animal and how they are there for you no matter what.
December 8, 2011
Good read. Animal lovers will really enjoy this one. Single man with his dog and how this dog brought this New York Apartment Floor together. She was truly a "social" gal. Lots of laughter and some tears. Enjoyable, worthwhile, quick read. Happy reading...
November 23, 2010
Are you an animal lover? More specifically, do you love dogs? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions then you will want to read this fantastic new memoir. Glenn Plaskin has been a dog lover his whole life and despite his (and his grandfather’s) most eager attempts to secure one early in life, he fails. As a child his mother couldn’t bring herself to allow another “child” into the home that needed to be cared for in addition to her already booming family. So, after waiting and seeking many years Glenn finally finds Katie, a beautiful golden Cocker Spaniel puppy, and by so doing brings with her a host of new family and friends. This is the story of how one animal can change and alter the lives of many, for good, for years and years to come.
I’m definitely an animal person. From the time I was quite young I can remember having a pet of some sort in our home. From fish to birds and of course cats, we were never without a furry (or non-furry) companion to brighten our day. Unfortunately for Glenn, though his mother loved animals, she couldn’t bring herself to add a dog into the mix of toddlers and small children in the home. Something I can definitely relate to currently. It’s often hard enough trying to care for the kiddos in your life without adding all that goes into properly caring for an animal.
Because of his mother’s trepidation and an early “scary” experience with a larger dog, Glenn waits many years before he finally decides to add to his “family”. And Katie’s arrival is not one he ventures into lightly. It’s this planning and preparing that really began to catch my interest in the book and then the subsequent concern for Katie and the very “child-like” behavoirs she exhibited early on. It was delightful and quite fun to see how his experiences with Katie often mirrored some of the little quirky things that young children do as well as the love he quickly felt for her.
Not only did Glenn fall in love with Katie, but everyone else did as well. For those unaware, Glenn Paskin is actually a celebrity journalist and much of the memoir covers the time when he was interviewing many of them. Oddly enough, he felt comfortable bringing her with him to interviews with the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Ivana Trump and Calvin Klein. Katie even made the articles of Page Six, a celebrity gossip column! Everyone she seemed to come in contact with was almost immediately at ease with her, with very few exceptions, and she had a way of bringing people who would otherwise keep a distance, together. This is truly the beauty of the book.
If I had any qualms with the book it would be that with the exception of the last 30 pages or so, I felt just “pretty good” about reading the book. It was a fun and quick read, with excellent writing and strong characters. Quite honestly, I read it in an afternoon. But it’s not until the last few pages of the book that the questions arise, the connection with Katie and Granny firmly implant themselves in your heart. Those last pages make every bit of the book worth reading. You will find yourself wondering if his journey was worth it? Was it the right thing for him to have added Katie to his family to begin with? Where would he be without her, as well as the others he met along the way?
Relationships that were formed as a result of Katie’s arrival and the subsequent partings were what brought heart to this memoir. Glenn Plaskin’s Katie Up and Down the Hall is one animal lovers and especially dog lovers, will fall in love with easily. You will relate on so many levels and find yourself looking back at fond memories of your own. This is definitely a book I’d recommend and would highly suggest waiting until you finish the very last page before deciding exactly how you feel about Katie and Glenn’s story. A story of heart that will teach you that some of the most important things in life are often the people we pass in the “hallways” each day.
I’m definitely an animal person. From the time I was quite young I can remember having a pet of some sort in our home. From fish to birds and of course cats, we were never without a furry (or non-furry) companion to brighten our day. Unfortunately for Glenn, though his mother loved animals, she couldn’t bring herself to add a dog into the mix of toddlers and small children in the home. Something I can definitely relate to currently. It’s often hard enough trying to care for the kiddos in your life without adding all that goes into properly caring for an animal.
Because of his mother’s trepidation and an early “scary” experience with a larger dog, Glenn waits many years before he finally decides to add to his “family”. And Katie’s arrival is not one he ventures into lightly. It’s this planning and preparing that really began to catch my interest in the book and then the subsequent concern for Katie and the very “child-like” behavoirs she exhibited early on. It was delightful and quite fun to see how his experiences with Katie often mirrored some of the little quirky things that young children do as well as the love he quickly felt for her.
Not only did Glenn fall in love with Katie, but everyone else did as well. For those unaware, Glenn Paskin is actually a celebrity journalist and much of the memoir covers the time when he was interviewing many of them. Oddly enough, he felt comfortable bringing her with him to interviews with the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Ivana Trump and Calvin Klein. Katie even made the articles of Page Six, a celebrity gossip column! Everyone she seemed to come in contact with was almost immediately at ease with her, with very few exceptions, and she had a way of bringing people who would otherwise keep a distance, together. This is truly the beauty of the book.
If I had any qualms with the book it would be that with the exception of the last 30 pages or so, I felt just “pretty good” about reading the book. It was a fun and quick read, with excellent writing and strong characters. Quite honestly, I read it in an afternoon. But it’s not until the last few pages of the book that the questions arise, the connection with Katie and Granny firmly implant themselves in your heart. Those last pages make every bit of the book worth reading. You will find yourself wondering if his journey was worth it? Was it the right thing for him to have added Katie to his family to begin with? Where would he be without her, as well as the others he met along the way?
Relationships that were formed as a result of Katie’s arrival and the subsequent partings were what brought heart to this memoir. Glenn Plaskin’s Katie Up and Down the Hall is one animal lovers and especially dog lovers, will fall in love with easily. You will relate on so many levels and find yourself looking back at fond memories of your own. This is definitely a book I’d recommend and would highly suggest waiting until you finish the very last page before deciding exactly how you feel about Katie and Glenn’s story. A story of heart that will teach you that some of the most important things in life are often the people we pass in the “hallways” each day.
June 5, 2011
In 1988, Glenn Plaskin bought a twelve-week-old cocker spaniel puppy, and named her Katie. As a first-time dog owner, he hardly knew where to begin, but a mutual friend introduced him to his neighbors down the hall in his Battery Park City apartment building, Pearl and Arthur. This older couple were life-long dog owners, and their last dog, a cocker spaniel named Brandy, had died two years earlier. Unprepared to get a new dog at this late stage of their lives, Pearl in particular is more than willing to help Glenn learn how to be a dog owner, and provide dog-sitting services.
It's not long before Glenn, Pearl, Arthur, and Katie start to build a bond a good deal closer than friendly neighbors. Arthur and Pearl were never able to have children, and Glenn's family, while close emotionally, is not close geographically. Pearl becomes another grandmother for Glenn, and a vital part of Katie's life, since she can't (usually!) accompany him to the office. Katie is a pampered darling, but a sweet, cooperative dog as well, and the fun grows when, as an indirect result of Glenn's work as a newspaper columnist, Katie starts to get modeling jobs.
And then Glenn's life runs full speed into a brick wall. The paper he works for is sold, and he's among the many let go. With all the other newspaper people on the job market at the same time, he's not having any success finding a new job. While he's still looking, his long-standing back trouble worsens dramatically, leaving him too disabled to work. He's getting physical therapy and attending a support group at a local community center--and Katie, accompanying him to the center, expands his family once again. She starts playing with six-year-old Ryan, and Glenn forms a friendship with Ryan's single dad, John. Coincidentally, John wants to move to someplace that will give him a less stressful and demanding commute, and an apartment becomes available in Glenn's building, on the same hall. Pearl becomes a friend and confidant to John and a grandmother to Ryan, and the three households bind together. They're in and out of each other's apartments, having "family" dinners together on a regular basis, and celebrating birthdays together. When Glenn is recovered enough to work again, he gets a job with Family Circle, and one of his feature articles is "Grandma Down the Hall," about the family they've created together.
It isn't all high spirits and fun. They're in the residential building closest to the Twin Towers. They live through the terror of realizing what's happened, fleeing the expanding debris cloud, and slowly rebuilding their lives and waiting out the time until they can return to their apartments. Also, Pearl and Arthur are in their late seventies when we meet them, and Katie is a dog, so in one sense the ending is no surprise. Glenn Plaskin makes Katie and his human neighbors come alive on the page, though, and while the ending is natural and inevitable, it's also deeply moving. Honestly, I cried through most of the last two chapters.
This is not a depressing book, though. It's warm and engaging and hopeful, and a must-read whether or not you're a "dog person."
Highly recommended.
I bought this book in ebook format.
You can read more of my reviews at Lis Carey's Library
It's not long before Glenn, Pearl, Arthur, and Katie start to build a bond a good deal closer than friendly neighbors. Arthur and Pearl were never able to have children, and Glenn's family, while close emotionally, is not close geographically. Pearl becomes another grandmother for Glenn, and a vital part of Katie's life, since she can't (usually!) accompany him to the office. Katie is a pampered darling, but a sweet, cooperative dog as well, and the fun grows when, as an indirect result of Glenn's work as a newspaper columnist, Katie starts to get modeling jobs.
And then Glenn's life runs full speed into a brick wall. The paper he works for is sold, and he's among the many let go. With all the other newspaper people on the job market at the same time, he's not having any success finding a new job. While he's still looking, his long-standing back trouble worsens dramatically, leaving him too disabled to work. He's getting physical therapy and attending a support group at a local community center--and Katie, accompanying him to the center, expands his family once again. She starts playing with six-year-old Ryan, and Glenn forms a friendship with Ryan's single dad, John. Coincidentally, John wants to move to someplace that will give him a less stressful and demanding commute, and an apartment becomes available in Glenn's building, on the same hall. Pearl becomes a friend and confidant to John and a grandmother to Ryan, and the three households bind together. They're in and out of each other's apartments, having "family" dinners together on a regular basis, and celebrating birthdays together. When Glenn is recovered enough to work again, he gets a job with Family Circle, and one of his feature articles is "Grandma Down the Hall," about the family they've created together.
It isn't all high spirits and fun. They're in the residential building closest to the Twin Towers. They live through the terror of realizing what's happened, fleeing the expanding debris cloud, and slowly rebuilding their lives and waiting out the time until they can return to their apartments. Also, Pearl and Arthur are in their late seventies when we meet them, and Katie is a dog, so in one sense the ending is no surprise. Glenn Plaskin makes Katie and his human neighbors come alive on the page, though, and while the ending is natural and inevitable, it's also deeply moving. Honestly, I cried through most of the last two chapters.
This is not a depressing book, though. It's warm and engaging and hopeful, and a must-read whether or not you're a "dog person."
Highly recommended.
I bought this book in ebook format.
You can read more of my reviews at Lis Carey's Library
August 25, 2011
I was drawn to Katie Up and Down the Hall for two reasons: the setting and the main character. The book is set in Battery Park City in New York City, and since I visited New York for the first time last summer I’ve been enjoying revisiting the city vicariously through this book. The main character is Katie, a Cocker Spaniel who belonged to the author (Glenn Plaskin), and united him in friendship with some special neighbors. (I say that she is the main character, and she is, but the book is not written from her point of view as seems to be so popular lately, but rather that of the author.)
I don’t know why it is, but I love reading stories about real life animals – animal memoirs if you want to call them that – yet I despise most fiction stories about animals. I think the difference is that I have no problem reading about things that really happen when it comes to animals and their special relationships with humans, because even though there is an inevitable sad ending, it is based on fact. When it comes to fiction though I get very emotional and angry if the author lets anything bad happen to the animal characters. Fiction of that sort strikes me as emotionally manipulative and underhanded. I think it’s the difference between someone sharing a sorrow with you (i.e. a true story) and someone telling you something terrible just to watch you cry (fiction).
I say all of this as if this were a sad book, but for the most part it isn’t. It is a story of joy, friendships and neighbors who become like family. It’s just that when you read about an animal you know that they aren’t going to be around forever. In the case of this real life story I was not disappointed by the content. It was amusing reading about the author’s introduction to pet care, and how Katie soon took over his life. The way that she was the catalyst for several neighbors to develop friendships was touching.
There were a few times where the author seemed to be beating me over the head with repetitions of how cute and special Katie was, but I let that go in much the same way I would have patience with a parent bragging about their precocious child.
Since Katie’s owner was a journalist who interviewed famous people, Katie also got to meet her share of celebrities. Along with the celebrity interview stories, I also enjoyed the anecdotes of how the author sneaked Katie onto airplanes, into hotels, and even into the hospital with him.
The story’s strength is in the growing relationships between the author and his elderly neighbors, and then later between all of them and a young neighbor boy. The story seems so unusual and touching because I wouldn’t normally think of New York City as a place where neighbors take the time to get to know each other, much less become close like family. It gives a hopeful message of inspiration: that you should consider those around you as potential future friends.
Katie Up and Down the Hall is a sweet story, and I won’t lie to you, I cried buckets when it came to the inevitable sad ending. I would recommend this book to animal lovers (especially dog lovers).
I don’t know why it is, but I love reading stories about real life animals – animal memoirs if you want to call them that – yet I despise most fiction stories about animals. I think the difference is that I have no problem reading about things that really happen when it comes to animals and their special relationships with humans, because even though there is an inevitable sad ending, it is based on fact. When it comes to fiction though I get very emotional and angry if the author lets anything bad happen to the animal characters. Fiction of that sort strikes me as emotionally manipulative and underhanded. I think it’s the difference between someone sharing a sorrow with you (i.e. a true story) and someone telling you something terrible just to watch you cry (fiction).
I say all of this as if this were a sad book, but for the most part it isn’t. It is a story of joy, friendships and neighbors who become like family. It’s just that when you read about an animal you know that they aren’t going to be around forever. In the case of this real life story I was not disappointed by the content. It was amusing reading about the author’s introduction to pet care, and how Katie soon took over his life. The way that she was the catalyst for several neighbors to develop friendships was touching.
There were a few times where the author seemed to be beating me over the head with repetitions of how cute and special Katie was, but I let that go in much the same way I would have patience with a parent bragging about their precocious child.
Since Katie’s owner was a journalist who interviewed famous people, Katie also got to meet her share of celebrities. Along with the celebrity interview stories, I also enjoyed the anecdotes of how the author sneaked Katie onto airplanes, into hotels, and even into the hospital with him.
The story’s strength is in the growing relationships between the author and his elderly neighbors, and then later between all of them and a young neighbor boy. The story seems so unusual and touching because I wouldn’t normally think of New York City as a place where neighbors take the time to get to know each other, much less become close like family. It gives a hopeful message of inspiration: that you should consider those around you as potential future friends.
Katie Up and Down the Hall is a sweet story, and I won’t lie to you, I cried buckets when it came to the inevitable sad ending. I would recommend this book to animal lovers (especially dog lovers).
October 20, 2010
I had no idea how much I would be crying by the end of this book. I lost my grandma last january and we were extremely close so the loss of Pearl and Katie just sent all the feelings back up..I knew what Glenn was going through..and felt his pain. I had a hard time getting into the book in the beginning but in the end I really loved it and I admit I wanted it to be over so I could stop crying!! lol
October 24, 2010
Glenn Paskin told a great story about his dog. I thought the book was going to be similar to Marley and Me by John Grogan but it wasn't. This story was about the power of a dog to bring people together, how relationships grow, and how people and animals can change our lives. I am not a "dog person" but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Several times it brought me to tears. Glenn did a great job of bringing his family and friends to live.
January 12, 2011
Glenn Plaskin writes about his dog Katie and how she unites a group of neighbors in an apartment building of people truly become family. The story takes you through Katie's life with meeting the rich and famous and a everyone in between. The story is much more than the life of Katie and includes the people she becomes close to and puts a smile on their faces
I have a cocker myself so I could relate.
I have a cocker myself so I could relate.
March 26, 2017
This book is sooooo good. It's one of those non-fiction books that doesn't read like a non-fiction book at all. I enjoyed it immensely. It's been a loooong time since I've had a book that gave me ALL the feels like this one had. I laughed out loud. I sobbed (loud enough that family members checked to ensure I was OK). This one will stick with me for some time. A must read for any animal lover. And wonderful proof that "family" is not just by blood.
September 15, 2012
I dare you to read this and not cry by the end...if you do not cry you probably do not have a human soul. A very sweet story about how one dog set in motion events that made complete strangers a family. With everything going on right now it felt especially sweet and I cried like a big, fat baby. No offense, Levi.
March 6, 2011
Should have thought this over before I read it. Is there a book about a beloved dog anywhere where the dog doesn't die? I sobbed for hours as I read how Katie died as it was identical to my experience wih Wally in June of 2009.
August 6, 2016
This book has been on my tbr list for awhile. I loved this book. I think I would have loved Katie. She brought the neighbors together and made them family. She enriched their lives and enriched her owner's life. I think I would have loved Pearl, his elderly neighbor. She took on the role of Glenn's grandmother and friend. My grandparents have passed away. This book reminded me of "Marley and Me". I found it to be heartwarming and I feel the author's life was changed. I cried when Katie died and then when Pearl died. Pets make our lives better. Also, the author interviewed many famous people I have heard of when he wrote for the Daily News.
July 19, 2020
5 amazing stars!
It was so tempting to put the book down in the beginning. I wanted to do it dismissively. But the prose was just so relaxing and moving that when I put down my judgment I realize that Glenn Plaskin was sharing so much love and joy to the world through this book.
Thank you Glenn Plaskin for sharing your life so generously to the rest of the world! (I’m sure you already know you’re an amazing writer.)
It was so tempting to put the book down in the beginning. I wanted to do it dismissively. But the prose was just so relaxing and moving that when I put down my judgment I realize that Glenn Plaskin was sharing so much love and joy to the world through this book.
Thank you Glenn Plaskin for sharing your life so generously to the rest of the world! (I’m sure you already know you’re an amazing writer.)
February 12, 2024
Katie, the cocker spaniel, helped unite several strangers who became an unrelated 'family'.
A touching story about life and death.
I also liked that it gave a different view point of 9/11, since they're apartments were so near 😒
A touching story about life and death.
I also liked that it gave a different view point of 9/11, since they're apartments were so near 😒
June 22, 2011
This is love story between a dog and the people living on a floor of an apartment building in Battery Park City. The author, Glenn Plaskin was impressed by a cocker spaniel owned by one of his friends in the apartment building. He wanted to have a dog but did want not be as strict as his friend Joe. He located a breeder with one last cocker. He didn’t like the name Twiggy so he promptly changed her to Katie.
Katie turned out to have an unusual talent for bringing people together and making them feel like family. This book is illustrated with color pictures so you can get an idea of what Katie looked like.
The story was very easy to follow and engrossing all the way through the book. Joe introduced Glenn to an older couple on the same floor. They have recently their cocker spaniel named Brandy. It was a treat for them to see Katie. And Katie did not forget them ever.
One morning Glenn accidently left his door ajar and Katie was gone. Glen couldn’t find her in the hallway so he knocked on the couple’s door. There she was with Arthur and Pearl. They loved Katie and Katie made her visits so often that Glenn felt like he had a new grandmother and grandfather. Katie added many more people as time went on. She was the glue that held everyone together. She made strangers into a family. In this book, you get to meet some very unique personalities. Glenn Plaskin describes them so well, that is as if you knew them yourself. There were many ups and down in their lives so you may be shedding some tears but you will be glad that you read about Katie, the dog who brought everyone together.
This is a great little book and I recommend to all dog lovers.
Katie turned out to have an unusual talent for bringing people together and making them feel like family. This book is illustrated with color pictures so you can get an idea of what Katie looked like.
The story was very easy to follow and engrossing all the way through the book. Joe introduced Glenn to an older couple on the same floor. They have recently their cocker spaniel named Brandy. It was a treat for them to see Katie. And Katie did not forget them ever.
One morning Glenn accidently left his door ajar and Katie was gone. Glen couldn’t find her in the hallway so he knocked on the couple’s door. There she was with Arthur and Pearl. They loved Katie and Katie made her visits so often that Glenn felt like he had a new grandmother and grandfather. Katie added many more people as time went on. She was the glue that held everyone together. She made strangers into a family. In this book, you get to meet some very unique personalities. Glenn Plaskin describes them so well, that is as if you knew them yourself. There were many ups and down in their lives so you may be shedding some tears but you will be glad that you read about Katie, the dog who brought everyone together.
This is a great little book and I recommend to all dog lovers.
February 14, 2013
A *3.5* this is a pretty good read. I am a big dog lover so I enjoy reading books where the dog is one of the main "characters" Katie is a real life Cocker spaniel. who lived with her owner Glenn Plaskin. he is a writer who has made his career interviewing celebrities for awhile. some freelance writing and writing articles for Family circle. Glenn had never had a dog of his own until he decided to get a cocker spaniel he named Katie { after Katherine Hepburn}. Very soon after getting this adorable puppy he was quick to make some new friends in the high rise apartment building in New York city in a burb called Battery Park city. right down the hall live an elderly couple named Pearl and Arthur. and a couple years later Jon and his three year old son Ryan. Katie is the link that brings these neighbors together in this 1700 unit high rise. she is beautiful and charming. Pearl and Arthur become Katie's 'second family. and also becomes a family for Glenn Plaskin the author. Katie also charms and adores the little boy Ryan and jon and Ryan also become friends to Pearl who is like a grandmother to all of them.. these three apartment units become close friends. thanks to an adorable cocker spaniel. I liked that a dog could bring people who may not have got to know each other. It is nice to see a story about how a dog makes a difference.
Anyone who loves animals and see them as a member of the family may find this book a fun and touching read.
Anyone who loves animals and see them as a member of the family may find this book a fun and touching read.
August 31, 2011
While very much an animal lover, I hate the genre of pet memoirs. They all seem to be about some incredibly remarkable animal and we all know how they're going to end--I just don't need or want to read that. But "Katie Up and Down the Hall" was different for me; it was relatable.
As someone who had grown up with cocker spaniels--the last of which who had to be euthanized a few months prior to my finding this book--I found in it a sense of consolation. To find a book about a cocker spaniel AND to see someone else describe exactly what I'd been experiencing the past few years was comforting. It brought back a lot of memories, which made it an incredibly sad read for me.
Despite that, I did grow quickly weary of the author's name-dropping in the first part of this book. Almost a hundred pages in and I gave up on the book for months, unsure of whether or not I wanted to continue. I'd read the ending in the store so what would I really be missing out on?
Thankfully, the book improves once the author no longer has his cushy job and finally has time to focus on his relationships with his new family. From here, we get to see how this family grows and changes, yet still always cares deeply for one another in good times and bad.
Can't say I ever want to read another pet memoir, though...
As someone who had grown up with cocker spaniels--the last of which who had to be euthanized a few months prior to my finding this book--I found in it a sense of consolation. To find a book about a cocker spaniel AND to see someone else describe exactly what I'd been experiencing the past few years was comforting. It brought back a lot of memories, which made it an incredibly sad read for me.
Despite that, I did grow quickly weary of the author's name-dropping in the first part of this book. Almost a hundred pages in and I gave up on the book for months, unsure of whether or not I wanted to continue. I'd read the ending in the store so what would I really be missing out on?
Thankfully, the book improves once the author no longer has his cushy job and finally has time to focus on his relationships with his new family. From here, we get to see how this family grows and changes, yet still always cares deeply for one another in good times and bad.
Can't say I ever want to read another pet memoir, though...
September 7, 2010
Glenn Plaskin writes about his dog Katie and how she unites a group of neighbors so that an apartment building of people truly become family. I fell in love with the cover of this book and the story is equally admirable. The story takes you through Katie's life of glamor as a model, meeting the rich and famous and a general bringer of good moods. Katie even gets to meet her namesake, Kathryn Hepburn! The story is much more than the life of Katie and includes the people she becomes close to and puts a smile on their faces.
I especially enjoyed the author's writing style and how this book developed into a book about relationships and how not being related can still make you a family. The greatest point in the book is the caring and commitment Plashkin shows to Pearl, an elderly neighbor. He struggles to help her adjust to her old age and then makes sure she gets the care she needs. On the other side is Ryan, a young boy who moves into the apartment and captures everyone's heart, including Katie who has a strict no child rule. My biggest complaint is there are not many pictures of Katie, but I did find some on the author's site about Katie -- www.katiebook.com. Any dog or memoir lover is going to really enjoy this one.
I especially enjoyed the author's writing style and how this book developed into a book about relationships and how not being related can still make you a family. The greatest point in the book is the caring and commitment Plashkin shows to Pearl, an elderly neighbor. He struggles to help her adjust to her old age and then makes sure she gets the care she needs. On the other side is Ryan, a young boy who moves into the apartment and captures everyone's heart, including Katie who has a strict no child rule. My biggest complaint is there are not many pictures of Katie, but I did find some on the author's site about Katie -- www.katiebook.com. Any dog or memoir lover is going to really enjoy this one.
September 17, 2010
I wish I could give this book a glowing review; sadly, I found it just okay and without much literary value. Sure, it's a nice story of how owning a dog changed one man's life and affected others. But to me, that's about it. I stopped reading halfway through. I found it to be a little too precious.
December 30, 2010
I want to be Katie!
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