Monday, September 5, 2016

Book Review/Giveaway: Kit Kat and Lucy: The Country Cats Who Changed a City Girl's World by Lonnie Hull DuPont


From the publisher: After years of loving the vibrant city life in San Francisco, Lonnie Hull DuPont reluctantly trades her three-room apartment on foggy, lively Telegraph Hill for a farmhouse on a quiet plain in Michigan. She immediately misses the rhythm and the pace of the city, and the isolation country living brings has her longing for something more.

Enter Kit Kat and Lucy--stray cats who arrive at the farmhouse a year apart and each ask to move in. The antics and oddities of these two strong personalities wrapped in fur bring a new light to the farmhouse and DuPont's life. Kit Kat, an obsessive-compulsive tortoiseshell, can purr her new human into a happier state of mind. Lucy, the playful, leaping Russian Blue who can nail a bat right out of the air, makes her laugh.

From the hysterical process of getting two strange cats to like each other, to the exciting years of watching those cats thrive--and inspire DuPont in the process--this book is an energetic tale of cat and human foibles. Animals enrich our lives, and the heartwarming story of how Kit Kat and Lucy changed one woman's world will leave readers enchanted.


When I stumbled upon this book while browsing Amazon I gasped out loud. First, because of the gorgeous tortie on the cover. Not many torties become cover girls, much less the subject of their very own book! Second was the name. When I adopted Mudpie her name at the shelter was Gemma, and I debated several name changes for her. I wanted it to be chocolate-related, partly as a tribute to Truffles and partly because chocolate names for torties just feels right to me. Kit Kat was one of the names I was debating. (In the case of this book, the name Kit Kat was chosen because of the famous clock.)

I loved every word of this memoir of a woman who had her life changed by two very special cats after leaving her big city lifestyle to make a new life for herself and her husband in the country. Have you ever seen that bumper sticker that says "Who Rescued Who?" Both Kit Kat the tortie and Lucy the Russian Blue arrive at a time when no one is aware just how much they're going to be needed in the future. Their personalities couldn't be more different but they form an unbreakable bond with each other and their adoring humans who do whatever is necessary to give their beloved pets the most perfect life possible and in return receive the comfort and loving touch that only a cat can provide.

As much as this is a story about the cats, it's also about the author as she faces family issues, bouts with depression and anxiety, and all the mixed feelings that come with such a drastic move. I especially enjoyed the passages about the author's writing and how the cats became her constant companions while she put pen to paper. As someone who has found her cats to be her greatest writing inspiration, this section really resonated with me.

As with all cat books I found myself in tears by the final pages, which I guess is appropriate because that's how the story always ends with our beloved pets. I think that's what makes this book so special: it's a look at one woman's life told through the story of her time with two very special, life-changing cats. Who among us can't identify with that?

Kit Kat and Lucy: The Country Cats Who Changed a City Girl's World will be on store shelves tomorrow, September 6th!

Author Lonnie Hull DuPont is an award-winning poet, book editor, and writer. She is the author of several books, including five compilations of animal stories under the pseudonym of Callie Smith Grant. A member of the Cat Writers Association, she lives in rural Michigan with her husband and their cats.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks to them I also have a copy to give away to one lucky reader in the US! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

18 comments:

Summer at sparklecat.com said...

This sounds like an awesome book! My human could never write a memoir like that... although maybe, someday, one of her cats might. ;-)

The Menagerie Mom said...

This book sounds so special and endearing. It's so incredible how animals can change our lives so much. And it's also so amazing how they always seem to enter our lives when we really need them most. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story with us, Mudpie and Melissa!

Unknown said...

This sounds like a really special book, and it's one I had not heard of. The tortie on the cover would stop me in my tracks too!

Momma Kat and Her Bear Cat said...

I was lucky enough to meet Lonnie Hull DuPont at the BlogPaws conference in June. She's an incredible woman with a huge heart and a love of animals. What really struck me is that her stories of Kit Kat and Lucy were very similar to how I feel about Bear. He truly saved my life and the wounds of the cruelty of humans. He's a combination of both cats - on the one hand, he keeps me laughing ... and on the other, he's got a huge heart. I can't wait to read the book ... I have the release date on my calendar!!!

Linda Szymoniak said...

My life-changing cat is my Kotoha - she's only now just 13 weeks old. I found her when she was just two weeks old and had to bottle feed her until she was able to eat on her own. She's the most precious - and ornery - kitten I've ever had, and after having lost two dogs (one to a medical issue and one to age) and a cat (from age) in the past 16 months, Kotoha was just what I needed.

Unknown said...

My life was changed the day I became owned by my black cat, Romeo Luigi. He was given to me by a parishioner at the church I was working at. Having a line of Siamese in his heritage somewhere, I became his. He is 11 years old now and I would be lost without him. robeader53@yahoo.com

traveler said...

Bogie, the dog I rescued from lap dog rescue changed my life. He is sensitive, smart, and the best companion. He senses, knows and is attuned to people and their personality. He is fearless, and an adventurer and loves to take charge. 15 pounds of love and energy. he is my constant star. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

CBarton said...

Mine was Cubby, he was my buddy for everything. He was the only one I had for many years and he loved me. He would sleep curled up next to me every night and was always on my lap or next to me when I was sitting and reading. I swear he read my books right along with me. He's been gone for 7 years and I still miss him as much now as I did the day he had to leave. cmucha319(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

diannekc said...

My life changing cat is named, Ms. Mouser and she just turned 19. She is the light of my life and I treasure every day I have with her. She has been through a lot together and I love her so much.
diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

diannekc said...

My life changing cat is named, Ms. Mouser and she just turned 19. She is the light of my life and I treasure every day I have with her. She has been through a lot together and I love her so much.
diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

Edye Nicole said...

I don't own a cat.

Anonymous said...

All I can say is, "Oh, my goodness!" Love the cover photo, too, and I'm sure this is a wonderful book. My torties, Ming and Ling, made my life better, every day, just by being in it.

Jeanna Massman said...

My first pet was a cat I named Ginger Lou. She was very precious to me.

Unknown said...

I am a life-changing cat to my mom!!! The book sounds great - I hope our local library will have it!

Cathy Keisha said...

Whoa! You're working on Labor Day, MP? You need a day off.

Jana Leah B said...

My Merrick makes me laugh every day. Thanks for the giveaway.

Three Chatty Cats said...

Aww, this sounds like a great book! Dexter is the cat who changed it all for me! And I now have two other cats as well.

Mama Cat said...

This sounds so cool! Each of the cats I've had have been special, but a few stood out who could pose the question, 'who rescued who'? While it doesn't sounds like the kind of ending is what I would want to read, it is realistic...and the point is to see what our four-pawed pals do - especially since I think that many if not most choose us - and how they love us to spoil them.