Review: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
Author: Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
Title: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Release: September 24th 2008
Series: Novel
Reviewer: Chrissy
Source: Personal Library
Purchase: | Book DepositoryHow much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can’t even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.
Dewey’s story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.
As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.
As an animal lover, I actively seek novels about true-life stories involving our furry friends. It began with the book Marley & Me and recently progressed to the heartwarming novel Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.
This book piqued my interest simply because the kitten on the book cover (none other than Dewey himself) slightly resembled my beloved cat, Pyewacket. Both Pyewacket and Dewey were abandoned kittens who were left under the cruelest of conditions. Both kittens were taken in and captured the hearts of many. But while I, like all pet owners, think that my cat is the greatest, I must admit that there was something very special about Dewey. Not just his story but the wonderful personality of this frisky feline.
During the 1980’s the town of Spencer, Iowa needed a miracle. What they got was Dewey, an orange tabby cat who was dumped inside the library drop box on the coldest night of the year. How can an abandoned kitten make an impact on the town, or the world for that matter? Simple, Dewey is an exceptional cat. Vicki Myron, library director, tells just how this feline was able to touch not only the hearts of those in Spencer, but throughout the whole world from 1988 to this very day.
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World is a truly heartwarming read that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you fall in love. Throughout this novel, readers catch a glimpse into the world of small-town Iowa as well as a glimpse into what it is like to work for a suffering library. Through his lovable personality and keen sense of need, Dewey finds his way into the hearts and laps of the inhabitants of Spencer and, as a result, makes the library a place that everyone simply has to visit. Dewey has a way of knowing when he is needed and through this sense he captures not only the attention of the people of Spencer, but the attention of readers throughout the whole world.
I really enjoyed this book but the back cover was absolutely correct, be prepared for a five tissue ending. Incredibly well-written, Dewey pulls at your heartstrings from start to finish and has the ability to make you truly appreciate the furry friend in your life.
