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| Category: Animals:Cats |
(requires Adobe Reader)
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| About the Book | |
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About two years ago, when God looked around and spied Cora, a ragamuffin orphaned cat and Barbara, a disheveled, lonely 90-year-old widow, he knew there was a need for a call to action. It must have broken his kind heart to see Cora's once lustrous fur, now dull and matted from weeks of living alone in a dark closet and to despair at Barbara’s tangled, unbrushed hair, slouched shoulders and worn and saggy jammies. God knew how uncomfortable—itchy and grimy—these two must feel, but he knew they needed more than a bath and cosmetic fixes. More than anything, this desultory duo needed compassion, friendship, love, warmth, understanding and heaps of hugs. In short, they needed each other. And so, God gave them as gifts to each other. Clearly they went together like peanut butter and jelly or gin and tonic. It was easy, not just because these were divine actions, but because Cora and Barbara lived in a retirement community on the same floor (the 13th) and same hallway. Cora was hiding in the closet because Marjorie, her owner, was dying, and the apartment was crammed with hospital equipment, nurses, aides, family and friends. Barbara was living a life of boredom alone at the other end of the hall because Ward, her husband of 56 years, a retired naval officer had suddenly died. During their married life, Barbara and Ward had joyfully traveled the world—to 100 countries. Now, mourning and alone, Barbara had no urge to travel. She wasn’t pleased to admit it to herself, but she had no purpose in life. Well, God took care of that by sending Cora down the hall to be cared for when Marjorie died. She was a gift from God to Barbara. What a gift! A ramshackle little cat who was not only orphaned, but deaf! Well, so was Barbara. What a pair.
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| Reviews | |
"A remarkable story about 91-year-old Barbara, newly widowed, and Cora. An elderly cat whose owner has just died. Both are old and unsteady on their feet; both are set in their ways; both are deaf and arthritic. Quite a pair! Guided by God, Barbara takes Cora into her home. Slowly they fulfill one another's mutual needs as they come to terms with sharing their lives. Cora provides Barbara with a new look on life as well as a cause with which to fill the huge gap left by her husband's death. She gives the grieving widow a sense of purpose. We are also privy to Cora's thoughts and learn that the hymn, "Amazing Grace," soothes her. Delightfully, it becomes "Our Song". This tale of the unique trust that finally develops between a sorrowful widow and her lonely pet cat is truly heartwarming." "A gentle and loving ode to an elderly cat from her gracious partner, "Cora the Cat" is the elegantly told story of a 90-year-old widow who rescues an elderly tabby. Human and cat grow in love for each other--with God as a part of their three-some--until that painful time of departure when the cat, confused by dementia and weakened by arthritis, must be bid good-bye. This heart-felt memoir will touch anyone who has has had to part with a beloved pet." "A wonderful and heartfelt read for cat lovers or anyone who has had a pet. Ms. Morris beautifully recounts 58 years of pet ownership from her first encounter with a "cantankerous Siamese" to her most recent "ball of unkempt, dull, matted fur". Upon the death of her husband, Ms. Morris explains how a cat became a blessing and a challenge in dealing with loss, hope and faith."
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| About the Author | |
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Barbara Morris has written The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where she was a tour guide for 10 years; The Fattest Baby in the Bronx, humorous essays from her life; the memoir, Crazy for Cats and a YA adventure novel set in Chichen Itza Mexico in 900 AD, titled The Sacred Ball Game. |