Stitch and Bear

A long-running Irish blog with reviews of the best restaurants in Dublin and throughout Ireland. Some wine and cocktails thrown in for good measure!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Homer's Odyssey - Gwen Cooper


Homer was a little black kitten, abandoned and suffering from an eye infection, when he was handed into a vet's office. Instead of euthanising the kitten, the vet made the decision to remove Homer's eyes in order to save his life and then put out the word that a blind kitten needed a home.

Enter Gwen Cooper, a woman with two cats, dealing with a breakup and who definitely had no room in her life for a blind kitten, that it until she held Homer in her arms and realised that this little kitten had a huge capacity for joy and love.

Homer's story is nothing short of amazing and is truly endearing. It's not surprising that a cat could adapt quickly to a loss of eyesight, but what is surprising is the joy and faith that this cat had in life and people. Even more important is the effect that this fantastic personality had on the author. The book is part Homer's tale and part memoir. Being responsible for the care of a blind kitten leaves Cooper facing tough decisions. She changes career, moves out on her own eventually moving to New York and finding the love of her life. Throughout it all, Homer provides her with inspiration and teaches her (unintended) lessons about living life.

Scenes such as Homer's obsession with elastic bands, his dual with a burglar and Cooper's frantic efforts to resuce her pets following the aftermath of 9/11 will leave you laughing and tense. Cooper has a gift for bringing a tale to life. Additional cutesie material is present in the form of little thumbnail images that adorn the start of each chapter.

Any animal lover will adore this tale of a heroic and happy cat, while the tale of Cooper's personal growth and her subsequent marriage provides additional depth. Well recommended reading.
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1 comment

Gwen said...

Hey there--I couldn't find an email address for you, and I thought it would be weird as the author to insert myself in the comment section here...but time enough has probably passed to make it sort of okay...

:-)

Anyway, just wanted to tell you that this review was the first feedback of any kind that I got on the book outside of my agent and publisher. It was so, so great to read this--not only because it was complimentary, but also because you got everything out of the book that I wanted readers to get when I was writing it. It just made me happier than I can say to read this a couple of months back.

Thank you!!!

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