What a heartwarming story....I have shared this book w/ all of my reading friends...FIVE STARS!!!

First of all, I am a dog lover!! I love all animals so this story resonated with me as soon as I read the description. What a wonderful story about love, staying true to yourself and what we can do if we really set our mind to do it. How Gobi picked Dion and stuck with him really shows the heart of this dog. And all the things she possibly went through in her short life before seeing Dion in the middle of the desert and deciding that he was her human is incredible. There is nothing greater than a dogs unconditional love, which is proven true in this book. How Dion paralleled his life and running with his devotion to a stray dog that he barely knew made this a really great story.

I am not much of a sports fan but I do recall hearing something about this in the news.
I found the writing to be such as to make the race portions interesting even to a non-fan as myself. It was more human interest than sports prowess. That said, I am really impressed with Dion, a man who goes after his dreams and goals.
This is Gobi's story - about a wonderful personality wrapped in a tiny dog's body.
This is also the story of a community of dog lovers who come together despite language and distance barriers to solve a problem and save a life. In the process it seems they have shed light on needs of our furry friends at large.
This is an emotional, at times tense, read as Dion and friends hit roadblocks and struggle through red tape to be sure Gobi is safe. When all seems hopeless they are not willing to give up.
If you've ever loved a dog or ever had a dream, read this book to discover that not giving up is the only way.

Dion is an Aussie ultra marathon runner living in Scotland. He was running in a marathon across the Gobi desert when he encountered a little dog that followed him for the entire event. He felt a connection with her, named her Gobi and decided to take her home with him. That decision was not a simple process and no one could foretell what would happen in the stressful months to follow.
This is more than just a dog story it is about luck, miracles do happen, the healing power of a little dog and what can be achieved when you believe in yourself. It is also about keeping promises no matter what and how much trust a dog has in its owner.
Any dog owner can understand how gut wrenching it is to lose a dog OR know they never want to be in the same position as Dion let alone have to cope with the difficulties of communicating in another country in a situation like this.
Just want to praise the amazing group of people who devoted their time to the finding Gobi cause and also those who donated money to fund the search. Dion was incredibly lucky to have them and the funds to cover the associated expenses as it most likely tipped the scales in his favour.
I absolutely loved this story, cant recommend it enough and still cant believe it had such a happy ending. This was a very easy and addictive read for me. A lot of people have probably seen some if not all of the media attention this story has attracted so I wont go over the story any more than I have.
I just want to say read this book and enjoy! Dog lovers will especially enjoy reading this book as should anyone else who enjoys a read with a heart warming ending.

What a wonderful story and its a true one! Such an inspirational read both of Dion an ultramarathon runner who alone is almost beyond human with his sport! He is then adopted by the wonderful stray he names Gobi . Gobi becomes a marathon runner herself following Dion across the harsh terrain of China. The story of the decision to bring Gobi back to Edinburgh and the challenges to get her there is incredible. I loved this book. I hope we continue to hear from this family.

Dion Leonard is an ultra marathon runner, originally from Australia, now living in the UK with his wife Lucja.
He competes in marathons in extreme places throughout the world, often in harsh conditions - for example, the Kalahari and Sahara deserts.
In 2016, whilst competing in a 155 mile trek across the Gobi desert, Dion notices a stray little dog, whom he decides to call 'Gobi'.
The dog takes an instant liking to him, and little Gobi runs alongside Dion for almost 80 miles over the Tian Shan mountains.
By the end of the race, they have formed an unbreakable bond. Dion vows to bring Gobi home with him to the UK, but what follows is a very long and stressful journey.

Finding Gobi is a very sweet, feel-good story and it was so lovely to read about the relationship Dion has with Gobi, and the lengths he would go to to ensure that Gobi was safe and cared for throughout their adventure.
This book is suitable for both young and older readers, and I'm sure that animal lovers in particular will enjoy this incredibly heartwarming story.

I truly raced through this story!! Even though the beginning of the book lets the reader know the outcome of the search for Gobi, I was so engaged to find out how the hunt played out. I feel that lots of people could relate to this heartwarming tale and I am very happy to see that there is also both a young readers edition and a picture book both available!

Enjoyable read combining dogs and running! Did drag on a bit after Gobi was found but all happy in the end!

Thank you Netgalley.

I really like happy dog stories. Especially the ones that don't make me cry at the end when the dog dies (but I like those stories too).

But more and more often, I'm finding dog stories to be so much saccharine sentimental slop...written by folks trying to assign way to much human emotions into their dog.

Not true with Finding Gobi. Dion Leonard presented Gobi as a real dog (instead of a human in a dog suit). He was also very honest with himself about himself. He did not see himself as Gobi's savior but instead saw Gobi as his saving grace.

I rarely read books like Finding Gobi, but this one caught my eye and I really enjoyed reading it. I didn't know people run several-hundred-mile endurance races—what a fascinating sport to learn about! I also enjoyed learning about life in China, besides the obvious story, that of the dog. It was also interesting and inspiring to watch the author's progression from a couch potato who didn't care about his health or very much about other people, to an athlete who cared so deeply about a stray dog. This book was well-written.
I received a free ecopy of this book from NetGalley and chose to write a review.

This was such an uplifting and fun read. I was expecting a book about an abandoned dog that races across China with the author who is an ultra marathon runner. Even though this does happen, there is so much more to the story. As you can guess from the title, Gobi gets lost, in a crowded, dangerous part of China. The author, Dion, goes to amazing lengths to find Gobi. I love that the author bonds with this stray after only a few days and spends countless time and money to get her back. Not only does Dion fall in love with Gobi, so do the other runners in the race. Gobi soon becomes famous in China. The story goes back and forth from the past to the present. The author talks about how he got into running, his previous races, and the death of his father. All these examples of challenges and perseverance help Dion on his quest to find Gobi and bring her home. https://jolenewilsonblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/05/5794

One of those books animal lovers across the world will love. Having seen an interview regarding this on TV, I knew I'd want to read the book. There is also social media pages on this amazing Journey of man meets dog.
The book is about a ultra marathon runner and a stray dog he finds on his way.
In June 2016 Dion Leonard - Extreme Runner and a little stray dog, female approximate age 18mths to 3 years, (later named Gobi) paths crossed during a 6 stage/7 day 250km ultra marathon across the Chinese Gobi Desert where their lives would change forever.
And this is what the book is about, a great journey to follow and a really interesting read.

What a beautiful, uplifting story! I can’t say enough about it. The story of Dion and Gobi is full of love and kindness, inspiration, perseverance and hope. It truly made my heart happy. Even knowing the outcome when I started reading, the book kept me in suspense, turning pages in anticipation and wondering how each obstacle would be overcome. No one knows why Gobi choose to follow Dion during a grueling endurance race with such tenacity and faithfulness, but that little dog is an inspiration, and I believe God was a part of their whole adventure. As an animal lover, I have to applaud Dion for the lengths he went through to bring Gobi home, enduring fear and worry along the way.

It was wonderful to read about the Chinese people and others who went to such great lengths to lend their aid and support in bringing Gobi home. You’ve heard the term heart-warming used hundreds of times, but in this case, Finding Gobi truly and genuinely is heart-warming. Wishing Dion, Lucja and Gobi many happy, healthy years together!

A middle-aged Australian living in Scotland runs an ultramarathon in China's Gobi desert. He is joined by a stray dog who accompanies him for over 100 miles. At the end of the race, the author decides to adopt the dog and bring him back to Scotland. After flying home to await the quarantine period, he learns to his dismay that the dog (Gobi) has run away.
The second half of the book recounts the massive search for one stray in the middle of a large, Chinese city. Along with the dog's story, you get insight into the mind of an endurance athlete. This book goes some way into explaining why some choose to run hundreds of miles in blistering heat or freezing cold and persevere despite injuries.
Part adventure story, part travelog must mostly, Finding Gobi is a tale about the almost irrational bond that can form between a human and their pet and the extraordinary lengths that people will go through to maintain that bond.

Love, love, love this book!! Such a sweet and inspiring story, a must read for all animal lovers out there!!

I loved this book and read it in one sitting but I'm not exactly sure how I hadn't already heard of this story given the number of press coverage I discovered it had! It is a story about a very determined man that puts himself through extreme running events in the most inhospitable parts of the world. Whilst he was attending one of these events in China to run a mere 155 miles, he met a dog in the Gobi desert that was to change his life.

She started off as an irritation but he quickly grew to rely on her to help him through the most challenging parts of his runs and when the race was over he couldn't leave her and decided he would do whatever it took to bring Gobi back to his home town of Edinburgh.

What follows are the many twists and turns in this remarkable story to reunite them, in which Dion refuses to give up. Gobi has a huge effect on him by letting her into his heart which led to many personal changes; you begin to wonder who saved who.

Can a little dog follow an ultra-marathoner for 75 miles through the Gobi Desert and find a soul mate and home? Gobi does. Fascinating that she attached herself to Dion Leonard, when there were obviously many others around. Because of her actions, Dion, originally from Australia but now living in Edinburgh, Scotland, decided to bring her home. However, doing that was not easy. There was the never-ending red-tape to bring her home, and, once home, after all that, Gobi went missing from the caretakers who were caring for her. Dion returned to China to find her, and, in a huge city will millions, found Gobi and brought her home once again. This book is filled with plenty of fascinating and interesting moments. The reader learns, through this unique friendship with Gobi, about Dion: who he is, his history, what makes him tick, etc. This is a terrific book for dog lovers, who will fall in love with Gobi, as Dion, myself and thousands of others have. It is also great for someone like me to learn about ultra-marathoners. It will also appeal to many runners, who will follow Dion and Gobi in their runs and quests for enjoyment in life. Finally, I cannot imagine who would not like a great feel-good story such as this one. If I could give it more than five stars I would. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

An Australian-born, Scotland-based ultra-marathon runner, Dion Leonard was just beginning his second day of a 155-mile race through the Gobi Desert in China, when he looked down and saw that he had a companion, a small sand colored terrier mix dog. The dog ran with him for 126 Km, but then he had her transported from finish point to finish point with one of the marathon organizers, fearing it would be too much for her. At the end of each leg she would spot him running towards her, and sprint to meet him. Dion new that he and this little dog had a very strong and special connection, and he had already decided that after the race, he would put plans into action to bring the dog back to Scotland.
Leaving the dog in the care of one of the Organizers, while he flew home to Scotland to find out what needed to be done, which is quite a bit, he hears that Gobi has run away from the caretaker, and has been missing for at least 10 days. He decides to go back to China, with blessings from his wife, to find the little dog if he could.
He had a wonderful group of locals that, worked with him tirelessly, putting up posters, talking to people etc. .
This is a very heartwarming story, of the love between a dog and a man, one which goes through much frustration, fear, paranoia, etc before it comes to its ending. I will not go into details of what happened to make this reunion come to fruition, as I feel, the fun of a story is being able to discover it as you read it.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson – W Publishing for the ARC of this book.

If you like running, you need to read this book. If you like dogs, you need to read this book. If you like adventure, you need to read this book. If you don't hate running, dogs, and adventure you need to read this book. Why? Because not only is it about an amazing dog who finds himself in the middle of an ultra marathon across the Gobi desert but it is also about loyalty, love, and the human spirit. I will admit that I teared up a couple times while reading the book. In all honesty, they may not have been at the moments one would expect to tear up, but the story is compelling and Mr. Leonard does a terrific job of balancing the story of Gobi with his own personal history and a narration of the race itself.

Dion Leonard was a loner. Being an ultra-marathon runner appealed to him because he was competitive and running wasn't a team sport. At the beginning of the Gobi Desert Run in China in June 2016, Dion noticed a stray dog at the start of the second day of the race. The dog ran a 23 mile leg of the race with him and at the end of the day, joined Dion in his tent. The dog ended up running 77 miles of the 155 mile race with him.


Dion named the dog "Gobi" and knew he had to bring the dog home to Edinburgh. It was going to cost a lot of money so he started a crowd funding campaign. Enough money was raised very quickly but Gobi had disappeared. Dion went back to China to find Gobi, who was eventually found. The quarantine process was going to take almost six months so Dion moved to China to shorten it and so the dog wouldn't be alone. By the beginning of January 2017, Dion and Gobi had gotten home to Edinburgh and Gobi is now part of his family.


I love reading books about dogs and remember hearing about Dion and Gobi's story last year so this book caught my eye. I really enjoyed it. I liked the writing style. I found Dion and Gobi's story drew me in and, while I knew how it ended, I was still cheering for them with all they had to go through. I started a running program in the spring so the running part interested me too (I'll never be as extreme as Dion ... I'll be happy to get be able to run 5km!).

I'd recommend this book to animals lovers and running enthusiasts.