by "Munchkin" and "Amidala"
Hi, I’m Munchkin.
Books 2 Cherish sent MA a print copy of THEY CALL ME DESTINY: A MEOWMOIR for review, so she read it to Ami and me.
MA wanted to review this book today, but Amidala said, “You get the blog six days a week. Caturday is ours!” MA pointed out that it’s only ours because she takes our dictation, and it would be very easy for her to type something other than what we dictate. Ami is a stink-pot.
So we decided to let her do a one-sentence review, and then get on to the real ones.
MA’s Review of THEY CALL ME DESTINY: A MEOWMOIR by Destiny Kalser with Fern Field Brooks:
If you liked THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, you’ll be charmed by THEY CALL ME DESTINY.*
*I hated THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, but I still found most of THEY CALL ME DESTINY delightful.
That’s two sentences, MA. Oh, look who’s a rocket scientist.
MUNCHKIN’S REMIEW:
I love books about stray animals who find forever homes and (spoiler alert!) this is one. At first, things look bad for the black kitten and her mother, then tragedy strikes. Things get worse before they get better, but don’t fear; some wonderful humans come to the rescue.
Destiny is a smart little cat, and picks up human words and concepts quickly. She seems to know instinctively who she can trust; that’s the way I am, so I felt a real connection with her right away.
Even after Destiny’s survival is guaranteed, turmoil in her humans’ lives keep things edgy for her. As a cat who had just found a forever home when his human passed away, I know how scary that can be. Through it all, Destiny keeps her head and her lively spirit.
Personally, I think she was nutty when she went exploring at the beach and stayed away all night! Anybody lucky enough to have a forever home ought to stick close to their human, I say! But it would be a funny old world if all cats were alike, wouldn’t it?
I give this book a dewclaw up.
AMIDALA’S REMIEW:
MaMA explained that she doesn’t like THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN because it’s supposed to be narrated by a dog, but she doesn’t think it sounds like a dog; she thinks it sounds like a dog puppet with a man’s hand up its posterior. Except she uses a much ruder word than “posterior”. Thank you, Miss Manners.
I thought Destiny’s meowmoir sounded just like a cat, until close to the end. I thought the last chapter, “All Good Things,” sounded like Destiny’s human Mom, Fern Field Brooks, jumped in and wrote that chapter herself instead of letting Destiny tell that part of the story.
Personally, I enjoy reading books about other species, and a companion animal is impacted by what happens in a forever home, so I didn’t find it intrusive when Fern and Konny’s troubles took center stage. It’s set in the 1960s, long before my time — even before Munchkin’s time — back when MaMA was young, and I enjoyed learning more about that historical era. "You do want to eat again, right?"
There are more books about Destiny, including the story of her one and only litter. I think they sound like a lot of fun!
I give this book a dewclaw up.
Munchkin again:
So there you have it. Ami and I both liked the book and are very glad MA was given it and read it to us. She says she’s looking forward to Ms. Brooks’ own upcoming memoir, PRODUCERS DON’T CRY. She says she might even buy us DESTINY’S CHILDREN, the next book in the Destiny chronicles. Maybe she’ll get it for us for our Gotcha Day in October!
In other news, MA gave us both baffs! I can’t help it if I get my tail in my food, or if I have to step in my food dish to hold it down! At least it was nice warm water. And I went back to the vet for a weight check, and I gained a whole pound! I weigh 7 1/2 pounds!
Also, Sweetie Pie popped her stitches and has to wear The Cone of Shame for a week.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR ANIMALS: What would your memoir be called?
http://www.marianallen.com/2015/08/destiny-remiew-er-bookreview-for-caturday/
