Sign-In
Cart
The Last Shepherd's Dog: and Other Stories from a Rural Spanish Village High and Hidden in the Costa Blanca Mountains
Paperback
Series: Tàrbena Times, Book 1
Biographies GeneralTravel WritingSpain & Portugal
ISBN13: 9781804430941
Publisher: Shilka Publishing
Published: Nov 6 2025
Pages: 296
Weight: 0.88
Height: 0.67 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
From the author of On My Way to Jorvik comes another unforgettable memoir - this time set in a hidden Spanish village where everyday life feels both magical and real.
When John, an English designer, and his American wife Kathy leave behind their busy New York City lives, they discover TÃ rbena - a remote farming village hidden in Spain's Costa Blanca mountains. Here, everyday life feels timeless, curious, and often surreal.
A neighbor presents a giant potato as a token of friendship. Pixies appear to decorate the streets overnight before fiesta. A shop full of groceries has nothing for sale. And Pascual, the working dog of the last shepherd, becomes the couple's reluctant but loyal companion when they are compelled to adopt him after the shepherd dies. He becomes the key to their integration into Spanish village life.
Through prose, poetry, and illustrations, John shares stories first written for his lighthearted Facebook posts, TÃ rbena Times - hilarious, moving, and full of wonder. They paint a portrait of village life shaped by ancient traditions, rugged landscapes, and the resilience of its people.
Blending travel memoir about moving to rural Spain with a touch of magical realism, The Last Shepherd's Dog is a celebration of Spain's hidden corners - where the Mediterranean sun warms olive and almond terraces, wild boar roam the hills, and history whispers from every ancient stone wall.
If you've ever dreamed of moving abroad, finding beauty in simplicity, or discovering magic in everyday life, this heartwarming memoir will take you there.
John Sunderland is also the author of On My Way to Jorvik, a humorous memoir about his unconventional journey from Yorkshire schoolboy to radical museum designer.
Also from
Sunderland, John
Also in
Biographies General
Bluesland: Portraits of Thirteen Major American Blues Masters
Pete Welding (ED.)
Toby Byron (ED.)
Hardcover
Karl Popper - The Formative Years, 1902 1945: Politics and Philosophy in Interwar Vienna
Hacohen, Malachi Haim
Hardcover
The Children of Athena: Greek Intellectuals in the Age of Rome: 150 Bc0-400 AD
Freeman, Charles
Hardcover
Make It a Double: From Wretched to Wondrous: Tales of One Woman's Lifelong Discovery of Whisky
Sackier, Shelley
Hardcover
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Isaacson, Walter
Hardcover
An Enemy Such as This: Larry Casuse and the Fight for Native Liberation in One Family on Two Continents Over Three Centuries
Correia, David
Hardcover
Agents of Chaos: Thomas King Forçade, High Times, and the Paranoid End of the 1970s
Howe, Sean
Hardcover
The Secret Life of the Savoy: Glamour and Intrigue at the World's Most Famous Hotel
Williams, Olivia
Paperback
The Badger: The Life of Bernard Hinault and the Legacy of French Cycling
Fotheringham, William
Paperback
The Devil's Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich
Wittman, Robert K.
Kinney, David
Paperback
Florence Kelley and the Nation's Work: The Rise of Womens Political Culture, 1830-1900
Sklar, Kathryn Kish
Paperback
The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn: Family Politics at the Court of Henry VIII
Warnicke, Retha M.
Paperback
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
Purnell, Sonia
Hardcover
Living with a Wild God: A Nonbeliever's Search for the Truth about Everything
Ehrenreich, Barbara
Paperback
Seafaring Women: Adventures of Pirate Queens, Female Stowaways, and Sailors' Wives
Cordingly, David
Paperback
The Butcher, the Embezzler, and the Fall Guy: A Family Memoir of Scandal and Greed in the Meat Industry
Cherington, Gretchen
Paperback
Gift of Power: The Life and Teachings of a Lakota Medicine Man
Erdoes, Richard
Lame Deer, Chief Archie Fire
Paperback
My Own Devices: True Stories from the Road on Music, Science, and Senseless Love
Dessa Wander
Hardcover
Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice
Giuffre, Virginia Roberts
Hardcover
How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself
Lawson, Jenny
Hardcover
Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor
Kuehn, Christine
Hardcover
Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young: A Fugitive Family in the Revolutionary Underground
Dohrn, Zayd Ayers
Hardcover
A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon
Fedarko, Kevin
Paperback
Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast
Colloff, Pamela
Hardcover
Through Mom's Eyes: Simple Wisdom from Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans
Jones, Sheinelle
Hardcover