I read Homer: The Ninth Life Of A Blind Wonder Cat while I sat alone at a wobbly table in the corner of my favorite coffee shop. I received several uncomfortable glances as I laughed to myself one moment and nearly sobbed into my mug the next. Homer: The Ninth Life Of A Blind Wonder Cat picks up several years after author Gwen Cooper’s first Homer book, Homer’s Odyssey (which tell show she met him as a three-week old eyeless kitten and the lessons he taught her about life and love), leaves off.
Homer: The Ninth Life Of A Blind Wonder Cat tells Homer’s end-of-life story in the beautifully complex way we all experience loss. The loss of a loved one is never completely painful– the pain is mixed with laughing over funny moments you shared, remembering the comfort you gave each other, and finally, having gratitude for the lessons they taught you in the minutes, days, months, or years you were lucky to know them. In Homer: The Ninth Life Of A Blind Wonder Cat, Cooper takes us with her while she processes the intimate and complicated loss of her best friend in a way that’s beautiful, crushing, and ultimately hopeful.
Cooper’s love for Homer is palpable on every page and it’s clear that his legacy lives on. Cooper writes “Homer became something of a ‘poster kitty’ for the cause of adopting animals once thought unadoptable” and his life continues to inspire people to open their hearts and homes to “unadoptable” kitties. This story is a must-read for anyone who has ever loved an “imperfect” cat or struggled with the tough decision of knowing when to let go. Homer was a true hero, and Homer: The Ninth Life Of A Blind Wonder Cat tells his story purrfectly.
Click here to buy Gwen Cooper’s new book Homer: The Ninth Life Of A Blind Wonder Cat.