About the Author and Book

Jenna Blum is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of novels Those Who Save Us (a New York Times bestseller, the # 1 bestselling novel in Holland in 2011, and the winner of the 2005 Ribalow Prize, awarded by Hadassah Magazine and adjudged by Elie Wiesel), The Stormchasers (an international bestseller, a Borders Book Club Selection, a feature in French Elle, and a Target Pic) and The Lost Family (a Target Pick and received starred reviews from all four trades: Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal), as well as the novella “The Lucky One” in the anthology Grand Central. Jenna is also one of Oprah’s Top 30 Women Writers and CEO/ CoFounder of literary social media company A Mighty Blaze.

Jenna is based in Boston, where she teaches master novel and marketing workshops for Grub Street Writers, where she has been an instructor for over 20 years. Jenna earned her B.A. in English at Kenyon College and her M.A. in Creative Writing at Boston University, where she was the fiction editor for AGNI Literary Magazine and taught creative writing and journalism. The daughter of a CBS newswriter and producer, Jenna interviewed Holocaust survivors for the Steven Spielberg Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation from 1993-1997.

For anyone who has ever loved a dog, Woodrow on the Bench, Jenna’s first memoir, pays tribute to her beloved black Lab, Woodrow, that recalls the last six months of his life and the ways in which he taught her to live. Since she adopted him as a puppy fifteen years earlier, Jenna Blum and Woodrow have been inseparable. Known to many as “the George Clooney of dogs” for his good looks and charm, Woodrow and his “Mommoo” are fixtures in their Boston neighborhood.

But Woodrow is aging. As he begins to fail, the true nature of his extraordinary relationship with Jenna is revealed. Jenna may be the dog parent, but it is Woodrow, with his amazing personality and trusting nature, who has much to teach her. A divorcée who has experienced her share of sadness and loss, Jenna discovers, over the months she spends caring for her ailing dog, what it is to be present in the moment, and what it truly means to love. Aided by an amazing group of friends and buoyed by the support of strangers, Jenna and Woodrow navigate these precious final days together with kindness, humor, and grace. Their unforgettable love story will reaffirm your belief in kindness, break your heart, and leave your spirit soaring.

About Fireside

We are thrilled to announce that Adventures by the Book has been invited to host a literary series on Fireside which will include book discussions, author talks, book clubs, special presentations, and much more. During the course of WWII, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt instituted a series of “fireside chats” on the radio, as a way to regularly communicate self-assurance and calm during times of despair and uncertainty in our country. While once a thing of the past, thanks to the brilliant collaboration of billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank TV star, Mark Cuban, and Falon Fatemi, former CEO and Founder of Node.ai, Fireside Chats are back, bigger and better than ever, and in a technological format that allows YOU to actively participate!

Fireside Chat is the exclusive, invite-only new podcast platform for the next generation – a socially responsible space for us to come together in real-time to collaborate and create meaningful conversations. Together, we will engage in discussion, debate, and discourse in a public forum and make it a thing of celebration and beauty. We are ready to share our microphone with you and hope you’ll join us as we collaborate in the world’s most dynamic auditorium.