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James Herriot’s Cat Stories
by James Herriot

As a cat lover, let me just say that this book was absolutely heartwarming and gripping. This book is comprised of ten different stories featuring a variety of felines, all of which are told in such exquisite detail, as to capture the heart and imagination of the reader. Any person, cat lover or not, would be hard pressed not to smile at the antics of Olly and Ginny and trials and tribulations that they put the good doctor through as he tried desperately to care for them and to earn their trust. Even more heart wrenching was the tragic end that came to this happy duo that broke them up. I found myself tearing up and had to put the book down in order to search for a box of Kleenex.

Another story contained within these pages that I found equally moving was the story of Buster and his mother Debbie. His mother was a stray who visited one of Dr. Herriot’s clients quite frequently. When the winter came she disappeared for a lengthy time only to return on Christmas day to bring the woman a special present in hopes that the woman would care for it as she could not. On Christmas day Debbie the stray returned to the lady’s house to bring her newborn kitten, Buster, to stay as she passed on. This was a beautiful tale and perfect for the holidays.

One of the biggest problems with adding in illustrations to a novel, especially illustrations that don’t just mark the beginning of a new chapter, is the fact that the illustrations may detract from the story itself. Lesley Holmes did an excellent job bringing to life the images of each adorable feline in a manner that complimented Herriort’s stories without detracting from the story, or distracting the reader in the least.

My only criticism of this book would be that it was all too short. If you are cat lover or just an animal lover in general I highly recommend you pick this book up. It’s an excellent read and makes for a great afternoon.

Joana’s Rating: Your great-grandkids will still be talking about it.