Greyfriars Bobby

The moving story of a little dog with a huge heart and of the unbreakable bond between an animal and his owner.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an introduction by Mary Paulson-Ellis.

When Auld Jock, a shepherd, loses his job, he moves to Edinburgh in search of work. But the city isn’t kind to him and he falls into a life of poverty. Lonely, old and ill, his only companion is a plucky little Skye terrier named Bobby, who belonged to the farmer that dismissed Jock. When the farmer tries to take the dog back, Bobby escapes and finds his way back to town. From that day on, he stays devoted to Auld Jock, even guarding the old man’s grave in Greyfriars kirkyard for many years. Inspired by true events, Eleanor Atkinson's Greyfriars Bobby is the deeply touching story of an inseparable bond and a wonderful evocation of Edinburgh in the late nineteenth century.

About the Author

Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson was born in Indiana in 1863. She began her working life as a schoolteacher. When she moved to Chicago, she worked for the Chicago Tribune under the pseudonym Nora Marks. In 1891 she married Francis Blake Atkinson, the news editor of the Chicago Evening Post. They set up a children’s publishing company together called The Little Chronicle. Her best-known book is Greyfriars Bobby, which was published in 1912 and has been adapted numerous times for the screen. She died in 1942.

Mary Paulson-Ellis lives in Edinburgh. Her critically acclaimed debut, The Other Mrs Walker was a Times bestseller and Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year. Her second, The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing was long-listed for the McIlvanney Prize for best Scottish crime novel and a Historical Writers Association Gold Crown. Mary’s short fiction has featured on BBC R4 and in 2019 Val McDermid named her one of ten exciting LGBTQ+ writers working today. In 2023 she was appointed the Dr Gavin Wallace Fellow by Edinburgh Unesco City of Literature. Emily Noble’s Disgrace is her third novel.