Remember Homer?

Damn, another year gone. I've been very bad. I haven't written in this blog for a year. Our two cats, Tina and Charlie are well, thank you very much, and my partner Orla and I love them to bits and they know it. I will post some photos soon. Anyway, I just got a mail from Gwen Cooper that the sequel to Homer's Odyssey is out and for sale. You can find more information on the Hi Homer website. I have just downloaded the electronic version of the book, which was a breeze,  and I'm looking forward to reading it. The paper version would make a nice stocking filler, hint, hint. Go on....... you know you want to buy it. There are more goodies for sale on her page and buying stuff will help rescue cats. Have a look at the website. And if you haven't read Homer's Odyssey yet, you're missing out. You better get that too. It's a great read.

 

http://www.hihomer.com/

Homer's odyssey by Gwen Cooper.

It was sitting on my virtual bookshelf for a long time but I finally got around to read Homer’s odyssey by Gwen Cooper.

I’m not really a person for real life stories. I read the odd biography and some historical accounts, but most of the time I read fiction. Every now and then I make an exception and this time I’m glad I did.

Homer’s Odyssey is the story of how a blind cat named Homer ends up in the author’s household and how they get on after that. The author has already two cats and is trying to get her life together. Adopting a blind kitten while she already had enough on her plate didn’t seem like a smart decision.

With this book you actually get two stories in one.

It’s as much a book about the author as about her cats. Because you start to identify with the author, who is a likeable person in my opinion, it makes it easier to get stuck into the story. The book reads like fiction and is well written. It has a nice flow to it, which makes it a very pleasant read.

The author tells about her experiences with Homer, how her other cats react to this cat that doesn’t always behave like cats normally do and how other people react to Homer.

The book is very moving in places; it has funny moments and is written in a way that you almost feel you’re there with her and taking part in her life.

Homer’s odyssey shows that you shouldn’t always judge a book by its cover. When cats are blind, it doesn’t mean they can’t lead a full and happy life. When you look at Homer through human eyes you could say that Homer’s will to live and his courage are inspiring. At the same time the author realises that you can’t project like that and that Homer is just a normal cat doing normal cat stuff and doesn’t even realise that he is missing one of his senses.

Even so, Homer is an example to her and his determination helps her to change her life around. I don’t know if everything she writes is a true account of how things went but the book breathes sincerity. The author wants to share parts of her life and that of her extended feline family to give out a message of courage and hope.

Even when things are not always going the way you want them to go, keep your spirits up and, every now and then, be impulsive. Sometimes you just have to take a plunge without being able to see what lies ahead.

I really enjoyed reading Homer’s Odyssey and can recommend it to everyone with an interest in a good, uplifting story. You don’t have to be a cat person to enjoy this book.