Ubac and Me: A Life of Love and Adventure with a French Mountain Dog
Cédric Sapin-Defour
Jul 2025 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Steve John Shepherd
headphones
Audiobook
7 hr 9 min
Unabridged
family_home
Eligible
info
Want a free 10 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
The international sensation, a charming and moving memoir of a dog’s transformative love.
“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.
“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.
The international sensation, a charming and moving memoir of a dog’s transformative love.
“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 Be...
Discover more
About the author
Cédric Sapin-Defour is a French writer, sports teacher, and mountaineer, whose work focuses on the slightly crazy dream that man and nature can learn to live together again. He lives in the small Alpine town of Beaufort with his wife, Mathilde, and Lulu, their adopted Romanian street dog.
Cédric Sapin-Defour is a French writer, sports teacher, and mountaineer, whose work focuses on the slightly crazy dream that man and nature can learn to live together again. He lives in the small Alpine town of Beaufort with his wife, Mathilde, and Lulu, their adopted Romanian street dog.
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
