"I loved this heartwarming story, with a five-hanky ending, that is not just about an extraordinary cat , but of the resilience and humanity of the people of Iowa and of Spencer in particular."
-W.P. Kinsella, author or Shoeless Joe
I was introduced to this book by a friend and impressed by the above review on the back of the cover jacket along with others like it.(Of course the color picture of Dewey grabbed me as well!) The book was written by Spencer, Iowa librarian Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. It rose to be #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list.
The author Vicki Myron was born on a farm fifteen miles from Spencer, Iowa. At the age of 34, after a failed marriage, single motherhood, and a period on welfare, she graduated summa cum laude from Mankato State University and has a master's degree from Emporia State University. She worked at the Spencer Public Library for 25 years, the last twenty as director, she lives in Spencer, Iowa.
The story of Dewey begins in the worst possible way. At only a few weeks of age, on the coldest night of the year, he was abondoned and stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director Vicki Myron, a single mom who had survived the loss of her family farm, breast cancer, and an alcoholic husband. The tiny orange kitten won her heart, and the hearts of all the staff, as they cleaned him up and warmed him by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. The relationship between Dewey, named fully Dewey Readmore Books, by a contest open to community vote, and Vicki was a unique a special bond. For nineteen years Dewey lived in the Spencer Public Library charming Spencer residents and all he encountered. His fame grew from town to town and eventurally around the world.
I really enjoyed this book, tho I had to keep the tissues nearby. It was a charming story about how small acts can change a community and build bridges. One of Vicki's lines in the book summed up how she had come to learn how to live her life well, "Find your place. Be happy with what you have. Treat everyone well. Live a good life. It isn't about material things; it is about love. And you can never anticipate love."
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