This book of cat stories (cat memoir) is told by Freddy, a tiny kitty who lives close to Paris. Born on waste ground, his start in life is challenging, and he almost dies from hunger with his little family. After several roller-coaster adventures, he is rescued and taken to his forever home. He meets strange animals, the Maine Coon cats, and makes other friends in the garden. Many have experienced incredible adversity and undergone terrible ordeals.
Freddy narrates their stories and fills up the parts that no one witnessed with his imagination. He tells his encounter with the "yellow monster"; the story of his cousin who, as a tiny kitten, went on the search for his mother and had to feed on gravel for days to survive; a mother cat who brought her kittens back home after being given to another family; a kitty who started a hunger strike because she was separated from her family and almost died; his sister who went for a walk and returned home more than three years later. And many other incredible tales. The events follow one another, and all stories are connected. However, some can be read as independent tales.
Although there is a lot of suspense and emotion, a bit of humour and Freddy's craziness, together with a feel-good ending, make these stories cheerful. The book is written in British English.
Compassionate and dedicated cat lover Dayan tickles with charming tales of her clowder of cats, led by the effervescent black and white cutie Freddy. Living in Paris, Dayan fills her house and garden with cats both bought and rescued. She describes the harrowing events of discovering little Freddy, his sister Caramel, and mother Maman in a rainstorm. Covering the details of the story that Dayan could only imagine, Freddy himself narrates his life with his feral mother, the dangers of living in a vacant lot, and starving when they can’t find food. Only in Dayan’s “magic garden,” where food is always left out for the strays, does Freddy find his chance for a forever home. Dayan succumbs to the allure of warm fur and kisses. She soon amasses a household full, admitting, “Little did I know that my seven Maine Coons were only the beginning and that very soon, there would be fifteen cats.”Dayan and her cats narrate their delightful and sometimes scary episodes of mischief in brief chapters that capture the energy of living with and loving cats. There’s Panda meeting the giant dog next door, who is labeled a “killer” but really just wants to give kisses; Tahiti performing her dance of loneliness in front of the security camera so she can be brought to Dayan’s office; and Valentina getting lost outside and found a week later in a concrete pipe in a parking garage. Stories of hungry and abandoned animals will bring mist to readers’ eyes, while amusing stories of encounters with squirrels and hedgehogs guarantee smiles.
Dayan writes her memoir with the passion of a true animal lover, and she captures the elegance and playfulness of each of the characters in her brood. The book includes adorable color photos, information on the Maine Coon breed, places Dayan has traveled to, and of course, French sensibilities. A truly joyful and rich portrait of life with cats.
Takeaway: Charming slice-of-life adventures told from the points of view of cats and their compassionate caretaker.
Great for fans of: Muriel Barbery’s The Writer’s Cats, Lena Divani’s Seven Lives and One Great Love.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
