View source for Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions by Vicki Myron and Brett Witter

{{infobox1
|title=Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions
|author=Vicki Myron and Brett Witter
|reviewer=Jo Heffer
|genre=Pets
|summary=After Vicki Myron published her moving account of Dewey: The Small-town Library-cat Who Touched the World, she was innundated with cards and letters from cat lovers saying how much Dewey's story had moved tham and sharing stories about their own special cats. In 'Dewey's Nine Lives' Vicki shares her favourite stories about nine of these very special cats and their owners.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=320
|publisher=Simon & Schuster
|date=October 2010
|isbn=978-1847378569
|cover=1847378560
|aznuk=1847378560
|aznus=0525951865
}}

Having read [[Dewey: The True Story of a World-famous Library Cat by Vicki Myron and Brett Witter|Dewey: The Small-town Library-cat Who Touched the World]] and having thoroughly enjoyed reading about that delightful cat's escapades in Spencer Library, I was intrigued to discover that the author, Vicki Myron, had written a follow up book entitled Dewey's Nine Lives. At first I thought this might hold many more stories about Dewey but it turned out that this was a collection of short stories each featuring a different exceptional cat. All of their owners had been so moved after reading about Dewey that they felt compelled to contact Vicki and share their stories. Dewey's Nine Lives is a tribute to cats and their owners everywhere.

There are nine cats featured in the book and they come from all parts of the United States from Florida to Alaska. These cats vary greatly in temperament and appearance but they all seem to have one thing in common which is a tremendous bond with their owners. Most of the cats have had a somewhat inauspicious start to their lives and many have either been rescued by their owners or literally found them and decided not to let them go! Each has become a treasured companion and a well loved member of its family too.

Every cat is unique and has its own story to tell but there are also many similarities between them. I think that you would have to be a real cat lover to read this book whereas I think the original Dewey book would appeal to a much wider audience. Luckily, I do love cats and so I enjoyed reading about these quirky, playful, loveable characters. However, I feel that it is the sort of book that one might prefer to dip into rather than to read all in one go. Also, readers might be disappointed that Dewey does not appear more in this book even though he is alluded to throughout.

The style of the book makes very easy reading but it does tend to be a bit sentimental so it will not be to everyone's tastes. The stories are often very moving especially as usually the cat has passed away or had to be put down, often having a devastating effect on their owners. However, the stories are more about the joy and companionship they brought during their lives rather than the fact they are gone. It's probably not a book for anyone who has recently lost a cat though as it might well evoke painful memories.

Overall Dewey's Nine Lives is an entertaining and enjoyable book but I don't think it has the universal appeal of the original book. Also you don't have to have read that book first in order to appreciate Dewey's Nine Lives although it would help to understand the reasons behind this book and to appreciate how his story touched so many hearts.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If you like the sound of this and enjoy reading about remarkable cats, I would suggest taking a look at [[Casper the Commuting Cat: The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts by Susan Finden and Linda Watson-Brown]].

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[[Category:Vicki Myron]]
[[Category:Brett Witter]]