[From the 2025 Spring Magazine]
Farial English’s debut picture book, Charlie and Sophie’s Great Escape, follows two spirited Border Collies as they break away from their human companion and joyfully explore the woodland beyond their home. Adventures abound—until a worrisome encounter makes them realize that HOME is exactly where they want to be! Whimsically written by English, of Galway, and beautifully illustrated by Italian watercolor artist, Patrizia Donaera, the story invites youngsters to tune in to the wonders of the natural world.
English had long envisioned writing a book. Years ago, while raising her family, she’d read hundreds of library books to her three sons. And she read dozens more during the eighteen months she spent writing about her real-life dogs, Charlie and Sophie!
“My husband and I adopted Charlie and Sophie in 2015 after our longtime dog passed away,” she explains. “Our sons were grown and gone, and the house seemed really empty. We’d always rescued older dogs, but this time I decided I wanted a Border Collie puppy because I knew the breed was extremely intelligent and active, and we’re outdoorsy people.”
Eager to learn all she could about the breed before adopting, English began volunteering once a week at the Glen Highland Border Collie Rescue, then located two hours away in Morris, NY.
While volunteering, English carefully observed how the Rescue staff treated and trained the dogs. When two puppies from different litters became available, Glen Highland founder Lillie Goodrich asked English if she’d consider adopting them. Having a buddy, Goodrich insisted, would benefit both pups.
“We had plenty of property for them to run and play and plenty of time to devote to raising and training them,” English says, “so I agreed to adopt the pair. From the start, they were so much fun—just like little kids! Always on the go, full of energy, impulsive, and curious about the world. I took plenty of notes, pictures, and videos, knowing that ‘puppyhood’ would soon pass. But in the back of my mind, I was always thinking . . . someday I will write about this.”
In 2024, Farial English accomplished her dream. “Since my book’s launch last October, I’ve had such fun visiting schools and sharing my story. I just love reading to kids! And I hope my book inspires them to be curious, like Charlie and Sophie, and to go outside more and explore the natural world around them.”
Contact the author at
Charlie and Sophie’s Great Escape (Miriam Laundry Publishing Company) can be ordered online at
Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and Amazon ($7.99 Kindle, $14.99 Paperback, $24.99 Hardcover).
