As a cat lover and a library lover, I could not wait to read about Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. I was not disappointed. This book is a beautiful tribute to one lucky and special cat, who touched the lives of so many people.
Abandoned as a kitten in the Spencer Public Library's book return box one cold January night in 1988, Dewey was adopted by librarians and named by the town in a write in contest. Dewey was named after the Dewey Decimal System used by libraries to catalog books. He quickly became well known in Spencer, Iowa, a farm town of about 11,000 people. As the tale of his rescue spread soon journalists from all over the world began traveling to this small Iowa town to write about him.
In the book, Myron intertwines the story of her life, which included divorce from an alcoholic husband and single motherhood, with Dewey's tale, throwing in some of the politics and gossip of small-town Iowa as well.
As for Dewey, he lived happily ever after at the library, sleeping in the stacks (he liked Westerns), riding the book cart, frequenting the staff lunch room for laps of yogurt, leaping from fluorescent light fixtures and sitting on patron's laps. In 2006, a stomach tumor was discovered, and Dewey died on Nov. 29, 2006, at age 19.
For me, this book was as poignant as Marley and Me, a memoir about a lovable lab. Be sure to have a tissue handy at the end.
RATING - 5/5 - COMPLETED - 10/19/2008
Awh glad you liked it. I just requested Plum Island on bookmooch.
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