Tao of Molly

When David Diebold and his family said goodbye to their beloved dog, Molly, in 2019, they were left with a Molly-shaped hole in their lives.

In The Tao of Molly, a beautifully illustrated and wickedly funny little book that looks like a children’s story but probably shouldn’t be, Diebold turns heartbreak into humour, offering ten life lessons learned from one not-always-best-behaved dog.

Each lesson — from “Find the last patch of sunlight and roll in it, even if it’s in the middle of someone else’s flowers” to “Seize the moment, your butt isn’t going to lick itself” — is paired with a tender, pen and watercolour illustration of Molly in action by Skerries artist Aisling Leneghan (The Littlest Leneghan).

Meet The Author

David Diebold

David Diebold is also the author of This Is How We Dance (Monument Media Press, 2019). He has written for The Irish Independent, The Irish Daily Mail, The Business Post and for The Herald, where his regular weekly column of seven years was a finalist at the National Newspapers of Ireland Feature Writer of the Year Award in 2011, and NewsBrand Ireland Popular Columnist of the Year in 2016.

His writing has featured in Press Gang: Tales from the Glory Days of Irish Newspapers (New Island, 2015), and in Spontaneity magazine. A regular radio guest, in the last year he has been interviewed on The Ryan Tubridy Show, (RTE Radio 1), The Last Word (Today FM), and The Tom Dunne Show (Newstalk).

A native of California, he now lives by the sea near Dublin, Ireland, with his wife, two of his four now grown-up children and Pepper the dog.

Meet The Illustrator

Aisling Leneghan

A native of Skerries, Co. Dublin, Aisling Leneghan was raised in a creative environment, painting and crafting with her mum, an arts and crafts teacher, and her siblings.

After initially pursuing a degree in human rights, Aisling’s path changed when she had to leave college due to hospitalization for an eating disorder. After her recovery, she decided to take a gap year.

As art had always been a healing force in her life, Aisling started her very own greeting card company, The Littlest Leneghan, blending her passion for art with her appreciation for handwritten sentiments. This is her first book.

“We’ve all had a Molly in our lives, if we’ve been lucky,” writes arts journalist Pat Carty, who provides a moving endorsement on the cover. “Grief is the charge for unconditional love and it’s an account that can never fully be settled, which is why we should always find the very last patch of sunshine in the world and lie in it. Good dog.”

Author and illustrator Niamh Sharkey calls it “Utterly delightful… Aisling’s gentle watercolours are full of warmth and humour, and perfectly capture Molly’s spirit.”

Weight	200 g