Literary Quote of the Month

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

Monday, September 20, 2010

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World... A Review

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

A small kitten is thrown away in a book deposit on one of the coldest nights of the year in a mid western town in Iowa and is found the next morning by the library director Vicky Myron. With a great will to live that small kitten hobbled on frostbitten paws to thank Vicki for his rescue and in doing so won her heart and all the hearts of that small town called Spencer. Dewey, as he would be officially named later on by the town, wasn't just any cat- he was truly special. And in this charming book we come to find out what it's like to live in a small farming community as well as how Dewey captured the hearts of not just Spencer, but people all over the world.

In telling the story of Dewey, Vicki also tells us her story and how she was saved in part by the love she shared with him. It's a story of hope and courage. And quoting Vicki from her book:
"The most important thing is having someone there to scoop you up, to hold you tight, and to tell you everything is all right." (and this is exactly what Dewey did for everyone who met him).
In the day where there are so many "animal" stories out there, this story is sure to win the affection of many. My only warning before reading this book is that is interspersed with Vicki's story, which is interesting, but if someone is expecting the book to be wholly about Dewey they may get impatient with the story in between. I think Vicki's story is important as it shows us that even though Dewey is a charming guy, his real job was to bring people like Vicki at least a small amount of happiness in what otherwise would be trying times.

*The Publisher, Hachette Books, are gearing up for the Holidays with a special release of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat! Check back to see how Chick with Books is celebrating!

*Hey, I'm sharing this with Cym Lowell's Book Review Party!

14 comments:

Super Librarian said...

I thought this was such a sweet story! I heard there's a children's book version out too. I think it's called Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!

While I love the idea of a library cat, it would make work miserable for me as I'm horribly allergic to them. :)

Marie Cloutier said...

I still haven't read this- I really need to! :-)

debbie said...

This was such a sweet story. I got it for my son last christmas. We both enjoyed reading it. I see there is a sequel to it, have you read it yet?

Anonymous said...

I listen to this on CD and I loved it. The ending was a lot like our first cat that we had to put down. When I listened to that part of the CD I cried like a baby.

Mel u said...

I read this about a year ago and really enjoyed it a lot-great post

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Super,
There are so many books with Dewey...kids and a newer book. Ohh, not good for allergies though!

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Marie!
Oh, it's such a sweet story, you should put it in your TBR pile. (of course I'm sure there are plenty in that pile already!) :-) It's a pretty quick read, but make sure you have the tissues ready!

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Debbie!
No, I haven't read the sequel, but it's on my wish list. It was such a sweet story. Thankfully it was a happy ending. Someone else just decided to drop a sweet kitten in a book depository recently with tragic results!

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Page,
I read this before I started listening to audiobooks, but now that you mention this, I might want to listen to it again sometime. Do you know who narrated it?

Suzanne Yester said...

Hi Mel U,
I read it a little over a year ago too, actually I think I read it before I had the blog, which would mean a little over a year. It's the kind of story that sticks with you though.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

This was a sweet story. Glad u liked it.

Unknown said...

Hey Suzanne! I'm coming from the book review party!! Thanks for this review. Need to get this book because it is really interesting. Actually, cats are not my favorite animal but they are cute. Maybe I'll like 'em more when I get know Dewey...=) Head to the party and read my review on Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger k...ciao..

lisa :) said...

I've had so many people recommend this one to me that I really should get to reading it. Great review - definitely bumped it up my TBR pile!

Esme said...

I so enjoyed this book. It introduced me to the world of library cats.

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