Homer's Odyssey [book review]

one of my dear friends, Jen, who also happens to be my wedding photographer, sent me this book in the mail (also? I love getting mail!) on a whim after seeing it in her local bookstore. she knows how much I love cats and thought Homer's Odyssey (the full name of the book is Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love & Life With a Blind Wonder Cat), by Gwen Cooper, would be a good match for me... and she was right! you may have heard of Homer before - he's been featured in publication a few times, including USA Today.

image via gwencooper.com

SUMMARY: 
Homer's Odyssey, written by fellow cat lady Beth Cooper, is the story of her blind (and not only blind, but completely eye-less) kitty, who, despite the odds stacked against him, persevered to live a happy and adventure filled life. 


The kitten who barely survived quickly surprised everyone around him as he became a fearless daredevil - scaling tall bookshelves and attacking middle-of-night intruders. His giant heart and playful nature won over each and every single person who met him, including those who were not so fond of felines to begin with. He proved every doubtful mind wrong as he overcame even the simplest daily obstacles, all the while teaching Beth about love, loyalty, and above all, hope. 

"And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes." 

REVIEW:
let me start off by saying that you do not to be completely infatuated with the domestic feline to love this book, because it's not just a book about a cat. it is so much more. it's a story about the companionship between the pet and his owner. it's a story of triumph when defeat is assumed. it's the tale of the lessons learned from owning a pet, and furthermore, loving that pet like a child. 

I think the reason I loved this book so much was because of the similarities between Homer and Bear. while Bear has been lucky enough to have full use of his eyes his entire life, he faced many struggles because of his neurological and balance issues... like climbing stairs and jumping onto the bed. but like Homer, he has defeated his speed bumps, and has truly become our little miracle cat. 


the jaw dropping stories of Homer's antics is what really sucked me into this book (like his pouncing across furniture and sniffing out tuna in an unopened can), but the novel itself was well written. it was organized nicely, considering that it basically tells about Homer's entire life in random points of time. I felt very attached to Homer, and to Beth as well, and found myself really worrying about his well-being while reading. Homer's Odyssey is what I like to call a "feel-good" book... it made me feel very inspired and hopeful, and definitely happy. 


I would recommend this book for everyone, but especially for my animal loving friends. I was thrilled to find out (after the book ended) that Homer is still alive and healthy, and still causing a ruckus in New York.