That's way too limited a view of her work, for my taste. Whether she writes about the death one of the dogs she has raised from a pup, a fishing trip, a white-water rafting trip where a disparate group ultimately forms a friendly, cohesive unit, or feeling a little fat, her work is likely to interest anyone of either gender with half a brain. To suggest otherwise is tired reverse sexism. One of the finest pieces among these 23 essays is ostensibly about Colonel Bob, a neighborhood man who every summer sponsors a camping trip. That's not exclusively a profile of Colonel Bob, but an essay about childhood and the teachers who guide you through it.
Dogs are symbols of belonging.
The fishing trip and the white-water rafting excursion are about friendship, challenge, luck, and bonding. Those are universal themes and they're not abstractions. When Houston addresses them, they're addressed with wonderful writing.