In this issue I review two new adult non-fiction books about the lives touched by some extraordinary pets. Enjoy!
In Dewey: The Small Town Cat Who Touched the World librarian turned author Vicki Myron recounts the life of Dewey Readmore Books, a male cat who nearly lost his life before he had a chance to live it. On a bitterly cold winter’s night in 1988 an eight-week-old kitten (later named Dewey after the library classification system) was found nearly frozen to death in the book drop of the Spencer, Iowa town library by director Myron. Having suffered much in her own life - including the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband - Myron recognized a kindred spirit and made him a library pet. For the next 18 years until his death in 2006, Dewey won the hearts and touched the lives not only of all in the farming community of Spencer but also in his state and eventually nationally and worldwide (his obituary was even written up in the New York Times!)
Dewey would greet visitors at the door of the library and always seemed to know who needed his attention the most at any given time. He brought many troubled children out of their "shells", softened the hearts of even the most driven businessmen, and brought a sense of joy and pride to a community that was, in the 1980s, facing the worst farming crisis in its history with nearly 50% of the family farms facing foreclosure. The social and economic climate of the community, as well as Myron’s own struggles, are important backdrops to the heartwarming story of this extraordinary feline. Dewey has been called "a story about survival, endurance, trust and hope" and one that is "beautifully, almost poetically, written." A must read for cat lovers and a must own for libraries.
Hardcover Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Pub. Date: September 2008
In his previous books, New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz introduced us to the delightful meanagerie of Bedlam Farm, including Izzie, the unforgettable border collie. Now in Izzie & Lenore Katz learns yet again about the unexpected places animals can take us. Affectionate and intuitive, Izzy is unlike any dog Katz has ever encountered and the two undertake a journey he could not have imagined without the arrival of a new companion, a spirited black lab puppy named Lenore.
Katz and Izzie trained as hospice volunteers. In an interview, he indicated that he was "drawn" to hospice work "because I wanted to do something with my dogs that was more meaningful than some of the traditional dog-human activities, even conventional therapy work." They visit homes and nursing facilities in upstate New York and while Izzy bonds with patients and Katz focuses on their families, the author begins to come to terms with his own life and discovers some dark realities he has never confronted before. At this time, Katz was battling severe depression and family and friends suggested that perhaps hospice work would only add to his anxiety and depression. Instead, Katz found the work to be exactly the opposite, that it would always make him feel better. He said:" Giving of oneself to others proved therapeutic and forced me to focus my attention outward toward others and not inward on my own problems." Izzie’s ability to do well in hospice work was remarkable also given his background as an untrained, unsocialized dog left to run wild on an abandoned farm until rescued by Katz. Meanwhile, back at the farm. Lenore - dubbed the "Hound of Love" - with her boundless enthusiasm and capacity for love, helped in her own way to steer Katz out of the shadows of his life and reinstill in him a connection to the Farm and to the animals and people around him. One reviewer has called this "an excellent read for anyone interested in the power of dogs and the bond between spirits." Highly recommended.
Hardcover Publisher: Random House Pub. Date: September 2008