From the Publisher
"Cat fanciers will enjoy this memoir by a 45-year-old man who lived alone until his heart was stolen by an orange cat . . ." Publishers Weekly
". . . [A] perfectly pitched account that nicely balances sentiment and science . . . A perceptive and intelligent tribute to man's other best friend." Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
Cat fanciers will enjoy this memoir by a 45-year-old man who lived alone until his heart was stolen by an orange cat. Jordan, a biologist (Divorce Among the Gulls: An Uncommon Look at Human Nature), was taking out the garbage one night when he discovered that a formerly well-cared-for cat he had thought belonged to a neighbor was, in reality, a stray, who scavenged food from garbage cans and was now gaunt and flea-bitten. His initial resistance was quickly overcome and the tomcat he named Darwin soon became the center of his adoptive owner's life. He describes how Darwin insinuated himself more deeply into his consciousness until Jordan finally allowed Darwin to sleep in his bed ("Thus Darwin and I became man and cat"). When Jordan is on assignment in England without Darwin, a vision of the cat as well as his scientist namesake suddenly appears to relieve his loneliness. Unfortunately, Darwin is diagnosed with the feline leukemia virus (requiring expensive treatments Jordan agrees to so that Darwin would be able to live comfortably for as long as possible), and after a long period of illness, dies. Though Jordan adopted another cat while Darwin was still alive, the author's relationship with that orange cat taught him to love. The author's self-deprecating style is what keeps this account from descending into mawkishness. (Nov.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Entomologist Jordan (Divorce Among the Gulls) here offers a tribute to a stray cat. As a scientist, Jordan previously found animals interesting only as research subjects, felt no attachment to them, and was somewhat contemptuous of those who did. Then Darwin, a stray tomcat, came into his life and altered his way of looking at animals. When Darwin was diagnosed with feline leukemia, Jordan devoted most of his time to tending him, as another stray cat, Hoover, joined the household. After Hoover swatted at a sleeping Darwin, Jordan punished the cat in disturbing ways (including using a marble and slingshot) that this reviewer thought too severe. He does humbly acknowledge those wrongs, but by then one's patience with Jordan's quest to become human has worn thin. Because the author focuses so much on himself, instead of on Darwin, this book lacks the warmth and readability of works like Peter Gethers's Norton series, Deric Longden's The Cat Who Came in from the Cold, and Cleveland Amory's The Cat Who Came for Christmas. Although now reformed and a cat lover, Jordan should stick to writing about bugs.-Eva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter Coll., Clarkston Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A nature writer’s transforming encounter with a stray cat, described in a perfectly pitched account that nicely balances sentiment and science. In his mid-40s, a self-employed bachelor who enjoyed his freedom, Jordan (Divorce Among the Gulls, not reviewed) was a self-confessed dog person. But then a cat entered his life and, as he observes, stole his heart. Called Darwin in homage to the great biologist, the animal imparted lessons not only about cats, but about humans and life itself. As he describes his encounters with Darwin and the fabric of their evolving relationship, Jordan also traces the evolutionary biological changes that differentiate cats from humans, cats’ genetic inheritance (their remarkable geographic sense and spatial awareness), and the difference between wild and domesticated cats. (The latter live in prolonged kittenhood, dependent on others for affection and food.) Jordan first saw Darwin lying near his apartment block’s trashcans and impulsively leaned down to stroke the unkempt orange tabby. In typical cat fashion, he purred and then bit Jordan’s hand. Instead of being angry, the bemused author found himself buying cat food and feeding Darwin, who quickly persuaded Jordan to let him come indoors. Soon, the author ruefully admits, he was in a relationship with a cat: talking to Darwin, using endearments, missing him when away. A checkup at the vet revealed that the cat had feline leukemia and the prognosis was uncertain. In the year that followed, Jordan battled to save Darwin, and though the fight was ultimately lost, he was surprised by "an unexpected sense of self-worth" gained by taking care of his pet. Grieving, he lists the things he learned from Darwin:respect and love of life; the value of loyalty and commitment; the fact that the human mind is "is meant to embrace others." A perceptive and intelligent tribute to man’s other best friend.
