Seven Lives and One Great Love, Memoirs of a Cat; Lena Divani

Seven Lives and One Great Love, Memoirs of a Cat; 

Lena Divani – Europa 2014

The narrator of this charming tale is a cat who is now in his seventh life.  He's a keen observer of his surroundings and of the comings and goings his humans. In his seventh life, which he enters as a kitten, his owner is, the Damsel, a writer.  Once called Sugar and now called Sugar Zach, our delightful narrator gives his readers plenty to think about as they read, as he shares his musings on life and humans. Although Damsel often seems disinterested in Sugar Zach, leaving him with neighbors for weeks on end, locking him out of the bedroom and more, he's determined to use his charm to his benefit, for as long as he's around, and maybe someday Damsel will even write a book about him.

No matter how much one loves animals, it is sometimes hard to read an entire book that is narrated by one.  I did not have a problem with this one. The story is well written (flawlessly translated from the Greek), and it's narrated with warmth, wit and wisdom. This book captured my heart, and I found myself smiling at the keen observations of this clever cat and his oftentimes oblivious owner. 

Telling the story from a cat’s point of view worked well, and the narration felt sweet and even poignant at times. There were so many observations that I wanted to remember that I found myself penciling passages throughout the book as I read. The wisdom shared by this sometimes pompous feline is quite entertaining -- a mix of wit, snark and even bits of empathy.  Fun to read with some adorable illustrations as well. This book would be a good choice for anyone who loves cats and wonders what they think of their humans. Trust me readers Zach is one very smart, cool cat.

4/5 stars

(personal copy)