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A Scattering of Cats
In a house high on a California hill, a young girl grows to adulthood in the shadow of the Great Depression. Inevitably, cats appear, and the interweaving of their lives with those of the family changes both cats and humans forever.
284 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 6, 2026
Memoirs can be tricky. I say that because of the occasional let’s-tell-all explosions that seem to have become the norm since the world of publishing stopped giving a toss. Social media has made it worse, with everyone providing their daily or weekly summaries, taking internal Facebook mediocrity to universal blaring, like a car alarm gone wonky. So, it is a surprise to find a memoir which is gentle in both the explanation of one’s life and of the various furballs that have shared the author’s life (even if they weren’t supposed to). Such a book is this, to my relief.
Sandra Bozarth was a teacher for many years in the East Bay of California, specifically in the town of Martinez. It’s a place that has one of the busiest Amtrak railway stations on the West Coast, with a small but quaint downtown area. One can arrive without the use of a car, visit some antique shops, quaff a homemade brew, then wave to the famous beavers on the way back to the station. Martinez is also next to a refinery, is the hub of Contra Costa County and has a little-known marina, where the saline water of the San Francisco Bay mixes with the clearwater of the Sacramento Delta. In essence, it’s a great place to live, but we’ve always tried to tap down the number of Yuppies and Millies trying to mix in, because Martinez has always been a blue-collar type of place, with Italian (Joe DiMaggio) and Portuguese beginnings. It’s here that the story of the book unfolds over decades.
Beginning in the 1930s, when she was but a tyke, the author takes us through the years, as she and her parents encounter numerous felines. Her father built the home on the hill (which I recognized) that looked out over the Carquinez Strait, and its grounds provided any cat to make a home. The Bozarth family always accommodated the felines, regardless of personality or feral-ness. As the chapters unfold, we learn about the cats they adopt and the ones they aren’t always able to help, such as the little kitten who couldn’t stop pooping and died (this was before the age of accessible antibiotics). Although it was never easy, the small human family always took the time and effort to help any cat in need, which makes it easy for the reader to relate to the author.
…I looked at the road ahead with a feeling of loss, of the threads of life fraying and slipping out of my grasp to somewhere beyond any hope of recovery.
As the years pass, the author remains in the house on the hill, becoming more and more responsible for the needs of the cats and, most especially, of her aging parents. It happens to all of us, or at least to those who undertake the burden of an aging generation. When her father has to move to a nursing home because of his Parkinson’s Disease and her mother gives up living, her final days just a heartbreaking wisp of physical deterioration (“Look! You can see right through my hand!”), the author reflects on the fear of aging and the responsibility of being there for the feral cats. The home is always a home of warmth and of remembrances of life when parents were younger and stronger.
I think this book ‘spoke’ to me more, because I know the place where the author lived (how rare is that) and because I have always helped felines who suddenly appear as part of the Cat Distribution System. But especially, the pages are full of gentleness and of a way of life that has already started fading away. By the time I first moved into Martinez, the author had sold the old home and moved to a retirement community. I don’t know if she’s still alive, but she would have to be in her nineties. It’s that rare book which makes me want to write a hand-written fan letter to let her know of my appreciation for such a wonderful reading experience. After I finished reading this, I must admit that I gave some extra hugs to the two street cats I adopted. They may not have been in my plans, but like the author’s recollections, they appeared, needed help, and now rule the home.
NOTE: This book was published by Lost Coast Press, which operated between 1984-2023. It’s an example of tiny publishing houses taking on the little books that the bigger publishers don’t seem to like anymore. As we age, so much becomes lost.
Book Season = Year Round (swaying determination)
Sandra Bozarth was a teacher for many years in the East Bay of California, specifically in the town of Martinez. It’s a place that has one of the busiest Amtrak railway stations on the West Coast, with a small but quaint downtown area. One can arrive without the use of a car, visit some antique shops, quaff a homemade brew, then wave to the famous beavers on the way back to the station. Martinez is also next to a refinery, is the hub of Contra Costa County and has a little-known marina, where the saline water of the San Francisco Bay mixes with the clearwater of the Sacramento Delta. In essence, it’s a great place to live, but we’ve always tried to tap down the number of Yuppies and Millies trying to mix in, because Martinez has always been a blue-collar type of place, with Italian (Joe DiMaggio) and Portuguese beginnings. It’s here that the story of the book unfolds over decades.
Beginning in the 1930s, when she was but a tyke, the author takes us through the years, as she and her parents encounter numerous felines. Her father built the home on the hill (which I recognized) that looked out over the Carquinez Strait, and its grounds provided any cat to make a home. The Bozarth family always accommodated the felines, regardless of personality or feral-ness. As the chapters unfold, we learn about the cats they adopt and the ones they aren’t always able to help, such as the little kitten who couldn’t stop pooping and died (this was before the age of accessible antibiotics). Although it was never easy, the small human family always took the time and effort to help any cat in need, which makes it easy for the reader to relate to the author.
…I looked at the road ahead with a feeling of loss, of the threads of life fraying and slipping out of my grasp to somewhere beyond any hope of recovery.
As the years pass, the author remains in the house on the hill, becoming more and more responsible for the needs of the cats and, most especially, of her aging parents. It happens to all of us, or at least to those who undertake the burden of an aging generation. When her father has to move to a nursing home because of his Parkinson’s Disease and her mother gives up living, her final days just a heartbreaking wisp of physical deterioration (“Look! You can see right through my hand!”), the author reflects on the fear of aging and the responsibility of being there for the feral cats. The home is always a home of warmth and of remembrances of life when parents were younger and stronger.
I think this book ‘spoke’ to me more, because I know the place where the author lived (how rare is that) and because I have always helped felines who suddenly appear as part of the Cat Distribution System. But especially, the pages are full of gentleness and of a way of life that has already started fading away. By the time I first moved into Martinez, the author had sold the old home and moved to a retirement community. I don’t know if she’s still alive, but she would have to be in her nineties. It’s that rare book which makes me want to write a hand-written fan letter to let her know of my appreciation for such a wonderful reading experience. After I finished reading this, I must admit that I gave some extra hugs to the two street cats I adopted. They may not have been in my plans, but like the author’s recollections, they appeared, needed help, and now rule the home.
NOTE: This book was published by Lost Coast Press, which operated between 1984-2023. It’s an example of tiny publishing houses taking on the little books that the bigger publishers don’t seem to like anymore. As we age, so much becomes lost.
Book Season = Year Round (swaying determination)
August 4, 2020
Reading now And now almost to the end
Having rescued a group of cats can really relate to this book. As was just telling my friend Michael the author reminds me a bit of my mom, goes into great detail. I’m loving the book and it’s helping me through my own cat issues, the saving and caring for them God bless you Sandra Bozarth
Having rescued a group of cats can really relate to this book. As was just telling my friend Michael the author reminds me a bit of my mom, goes into great detail. I’m loving the book and it’s helping me through my own cat issues, the saving and caring for them God bless you Sandra Bozarth
August 24, 2016
Way too much in graphic detail of cat's deaths for me. If you can get past that- it's pretty good. I kept bracing myself for the next horrific death. Glad to move on to a happier book...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews