This is a book about cats and kittens, written by a cat. That’s right. A cat. You didn’t misread that or fall into a fugue state where everything is upside down in your world. Destiny’s Children is a sequel to the charming They Call Me Destiny that introduced the rescue cat and the woman who gave her a home. As I said in my review of that first book, you don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy the anecdotes about the life of this special cat and her special owners. Or should I say the people Destiny owns.
The first book was a nice blending of two lives, a cat’s and a woman’s, and the experiences that challenged them during the years they shared as Destiny grew from a bedraggled kitten to a stunning black cat. This second installment in the story is equally a blending, although the focus is more on Destiny and her babies as they grow from newborn to frolicking kittens. The tagline for the book is: Surviving kittenbirth, menopaws, and divorce. Not mine-Fern’s. And we see it all from Destiny’s point of view.
I laughed out loud when I got to the chapter Menopaws that starts with the trip to the veterinarian for Destiny to get spayed. Destiny relates what she has overheard Fern saying to her partner Konny “She’s saying that in one of the books she was reading about something called spaying – the doctor had written that there were absolutely no side effects or changes in a cat after being spayed. Really? I thought to myself. I wondered how many cats that doctor had interviewed to come to that conclusion?!”
Earlier in the book when Destiny is reflecting on her genetic makeup after Fern has suggested that Destiny could be part Burmese, Destiny says, “I don’t really see the resemblance, but it is a good-looking cat, so I don’t really mind her description of my heritage.”
Apparently, looks are important, even to a cat.
Throughout both books, there are lessons about life and love and commitment and how important it is to live up to our commitments. Whether that is a commitment to our partner in life or a commitment to a pet that we have welcomed into our home.
In this second book there is a lot of reflection on what it means to be a mother how one feels when the children are ready to leave home. Much like Destiny missed her babies after the kittens were given to new homes, we human mothers miss our children when they go off to establish a new home of their own.
These tidbits of wisdom that are sprinkled throughout the book in the midst of the humorous stories take the book beyond just a fun read about cats. Kudos to Fern for being able to capture Destiny’s voice so well.
As a special way to celebrate Mother’s Day, Destiny’s Children will be on sale for only $10.00, and They Call Me Destiny will be available for $5. The new book is available exclusively from the books2cherish website, where the sale prices for both books will be applied at checkout. No extra tax will be charged, but there will be a $3 shipping fee. The sale starts, today, May 9th and runs the entire month. While you’re on the books2cherish site, check out all the cool cat merchandise offered there. I got my black-cat tee in honor of my two black cats.