The second entry in my new series, Rereading Old Favorites, is Gwen Cooper’s Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat. I would venture to guess that many of you read this book when it was first published in 2009. Featuring Homer, a tiny blind kitten whose courage, joy and boundless heart change his human’s life forever is a true classic in the cat literature genre.
When Gwen first meets Homer, he’s a sickly, abandoned kitten who’s had both eyes removed to save his life. Most people would have walked away, but Gwen saw something special in him. From the moment she brings him home, Homer refuses to see his blindness as a limitation. He climbs bookshelves, races down hallways, and pounces on anything that moves. His enthusiasm for life embodies the best of what cats teach us: to live fully in the present moment.
The book chronicles Homer’s life, as well as that of his feline sisters Scarlett and Vashti, as it follows Gwen through moves, career changes, and more.
I loved the book back sixteen years ago. Cat memoirs were just beginning to become a “thing”. My own Buckley’s Story published a month after Homer’s Odyssey. At the time, I found myself in awe of Gwen’s writing style (and I’m still awed by it after reading every single one of her books since then.) Her exquisite blend of humor, raw honesty and tenderness captures the heart.
Even though of course I knew the story, I found myself sobbing once again through the 9/11 sequence. Gwen lived just a few blocks from Ground Zero, and was cut off from being able to get back to her building for several days when that part of lower Manhattan was closed to anyone but first responders.
Homer’s Odyssey is the ultimate cat memoir. Even after all these years, Homer is still the undisputed leader of the genre.
Homer’s Odyssey is available from Amazon.
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A fantastic book — a must read for anyone. Whether you love cats or not. However, make sure to have a big box of tissues on hand. It’s tough to get through this book without crying …be warned !
I love to reread my favorite books when I have extra time.
Absolutely loved this book – and the sequels. . .