The Lighthouse, the Cat, and the Sea: A Tropical Tale

A brave seafaring cat at the turn of the (last) century narrates her unusual tale at the ripe old age of 31, in this charming little book. Named Mrs. Moore (though she was no ""kitten-bride"" and never wed) she looks back on an eventful life, commenting on the human (and animal) condition for her human readers. Descended from a long line of sea-voyaging felines, Mrs. Moore is born in 1899 on the schooner Estella Gomez, where she lives among a superstitious crew, including a cat-hating mate and an animal-loving cook. She and her brother barely survive a shipwreck, and only because a little boy, Griffin, finds them washed up on the beach and fiercely nurses them back to life. Griffin gives Mrs. Moore her name and dubs her brother Fafner. The boy lives with his fussy sister, Ada, and his mother, Mary Bishop, who tends the lighthouse on what is now Key West. A Northern girl, Mary came to the island with her husband, remaining there after his death. Though romance blossoms with a local clergyman, Mary's life takes a surprising twist when an oddly dressed, limping stranger stumbles to their door. Mrs. Moore is shocked to recognize the man as the cat-friendly cook from the ship. But Mary's relationship to the weary survivor is complicated, leading her to wrestle with, and finally resolve, old family traumas. Commendably, Rutledge (A Cat's Little Instruction Book), recounts his lighthearted story with no lapses into sentimentality or cuteness. Cat lovers will be delighted with the wise Mrs. Moore, whose feline observations have wisdom, a lilting grace and the charm of a fairy tale. (Oct.)