Cat Tales: The Meaning of Cats in Women's Lives

by Jan Fook (Editor), Susan Hawthorne (Editor), Renate Klein (Editor)

This celebration of the enduring relationship between a woman and her feline includes more than 80 stories, poems, and reflections by women from around the world. Writings from such American authors as Marge Piercy, Dahlia Levy, and Terry Wolverton shed light on the historical tradition of the cat goddess as well as real-life encounters with heroic and troublesome cats. A cat who walked through plaster on shore clomps on board a sailing ship for three weeks; a cat who protected a family travels 100 miles to find her owners; and the cats who survive 9/11 are among the felines profiled in this amusing and enjoyable collection.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism

219 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Cara G]

This is a book containing stories and poems about women and their cats, many of them queer women. it also contains many pictures of said cats and amazing descriptions of each author. If i didn't give this book 5 stars, people would worry about me.

[l]

I wanted to give it a high rating but so many outdoor cat stories (so many bad cat moms)...
Australians, this is why you have the cat crisis that you do right now...
Shape up.

[Catsalive]

4 stars for the cats, one star lost for some of their humans - naming no names. There are some lovely experiences but I found the 'meaning' elusive in a couple of them, & extremely anthropomorphic in another couple. The gift of a cat's love is a wonderful thing & not necessarily guaranteed, their aloofness would be why many profess to dislike them. It's a pity I don't have A Girl's Best Friend: The Meaning of Dogs in Women's Lives so I could compare the two. Me: I love them both.