Before you navigate to the next entry, thinking this one is about that long, boring poem you probably had to read in your high school Latin class, please be assured that this is a totally different story. Homer is a blind cat adopted years ago by author Gwen Cooper. Nobody else wanted him because his eyes had been surgically removed to save his life as a result of a serious infection. When Gwen’s veterinarian contacted her about Homer, Gwen wasn’t sure she wanted him either but said she would take a look. When she did, you could say it was love at first sight. She said she would take him home immediately despite the fact she already had two other cats and was living temporarily with a friend.
Homer’s Odyssey is the tale of this cat’s adventures. After Gwen adopted him, she and her three cats moved in with her parents until she found a higher paying job and an apartment of her own. She eventually moved with her cats from Miami to New York where the cats survived 9/11 trapped in her apartment alone for three days. She ends the book by describing how she met and married her husband Laurence. At the beginning of each chapter, there is an excerpt from that dreaded poem, but they’re in English and easy to understand.
At the end of the book, I thought Homer would die because before Gwen’s wedding, he became ill as a result of an unknown cause, but to my surprise and relief, he proved that cats definitely have nine lives. Homer is still alive, and according to the author’s blog, Gwen and Laurence celebrated their third wedding anniversary earlier thismonth. I recommend Homer’s Odyssey to anyone who loves cats.
To find out more about Homer’s Odyssey and purchase a print copy of the book, you can visit Gwen Cooper’s Website at http://www.gwencooper.com To watch a video of Gwen Cooper reading an excerpt from the book, go to http://youtu.be/E_S9VANmMLc To learn about an organization that rescues and shelters blind cats, visit http://blindcatrescue.com/ You can also visit Gwen’s blog at http://www.gwencooper.com/blog.php
Abbie Johnson Taylor, Author of We Shall Overcome
http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
My Corner 
This sounds like a wonderful, heart warming story.We have five cats, and have always had cats since my wife and I met over thirty years ago.I am an animal person. I do tend to like dogs a bit more, but my cats have continuously given me comfort and love all through the years.This cat in the story is a special guy. I love him already just by reading your entry. What a story this must be.Thanks.Deon
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Hi, Deon, yes, it is a heartwarming story, and the book is also available for download from the BARD site or your local talking book library can probably send it to you on a cartridge. I may have said this before, but we had several cats when I was growing up, and two of them lived to be in their twenties.Abbie Johnson Taylor, Author of We Shall Overcomehttp://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.comabbie@samobile.net
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