English 
Español de México 
Français du Canada The Dog from Harbin.
A memoir written by someone whose way of seeing the world was transformed by living in China.
He was small enough to fit in one hand. He filled the next thirteen and a half years.
In 2006, while living in Harbin — one of the coldest cities on Earth — Todd Cornell brought home a six-week-old West Siberian Laika puppy. Neither of them knew they were beginning a journey that would span two continents and a lifetime of memories.
This is not a travel book about China. It’s a book about belonging somewhere you could never have imagined. But most of all, it’s about the dog who always knew where home was.
💛 Follow Rascal’s journey: Facebook.com/RascalFromHarbin
“…one of the most beautifully cross-cultural stories you’ll read this year.” — Culturs Magazine
“Beautifully written, deeply moving… whether you have owned a dog or not, it’s a must read.” — Amazon reviewer
Todd's first look at the Collector's Edition — unscripted.
The Four Seasons of Rascal
This is the story of a Westerner who didn’t just visit China — he lived inside it. For two decades, Todd Cornell built a life in Taiwan, Shanghai, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Harbin, and beyond, navigating language, culture, and belonging at a depth seldom seen.
And then there was Rascal: a West Siberian Laika bought at a Harbin street market for a handful of yuan — a shivering scrap of fur with a heart large enough to change everything.
Told through the four seasons of a life — 春夏秋冬 — this memoir follows the journey of one man and his dog from North China to the American West.
It is a book about cultural immersion, about what it means to truly belong somewhere so far from where you began, about love expressed without a shared language, and about the particular grief of loving an animal across a lifetime.
Few Westerners have lived Chinese culture this deeply — and none have told the story quite like this: through a dog, across two continents.
Includes the author’s original Chinese short story, 《我的中国狗》
For readers of: The Art of Racing in the Rain · Hachiko · River Town · Wild · A Year in Provence · Marley & Me
Themes: China · Cultural identity · Expat life · Human-animal bond · Cross-cultural belonging · Memory · Loss
📖 Get your copy of Rascal’s book
Publication date: June 15, 2026
Publisher: Cultur668 Publishing
Author: Todd Cornell (康鸿熹)
Television clips from 'Rascal's Harbin Cable TV Special' and a talk show
On Chinese television, talking about the day I found Rascal at a Harbin street market. “To the trained eye, most of the animals were lethargic from lack of nutrition. Vendors didn’t feed them well — holding off until a prospective buyer was nearby, then offering cornmeal or a cheap staple to spark energy. This made them appear playful.”
From a special on Harbin Cable TV — Rascal and his toy basket. He knew exactly what he wanted, when he wanted it. And sometimes, just sometimes, he even put things back.
From a special on Harbin Cable TV — Rascal on his treadmill. He ran twice a day, thirty minutes each time. And he always got a treat after!
Available in (black & white) Reader’s Edition (paperback) and Kindle.
Collector’s Edition (full-color) with original watercolor illustrations by Beijing artist 姜铁成.