Love Saves the Day

This book was heartbreaking and lovely. I definitely cried at several points in the book; Prudence's confusion at her owner never coming home and having to live with her owner's daughter is poignant and tearjerking. I am owned by a rather strong-willed cat, myself, and  many of Prudence's behaviors reminded me of my own Boudicca. (Sleeping beside me and reaching out one paw so we're touching in our sleep is something I thought was peculiar to her until reading this book!)

The strained relationship between mother and daughter is also something I can identify with.

I had planned to spend next year reading books told from the viewpoints of animals - I'm not sure why this one snuck in this year, but I'm glad it did, because I absolutely adore this book. Some people might think it unrealistic that Prudence understands human speech, but at times I'm pretty sure Boudicca understands every word I'm saying, so I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility!

I love how Prudence and Laura learn to live together, and eventually to mourn their mother and begin to heal. The book is a lovely example of what a pet can bring to a home. I know my cat has kept me sane through some very trying times; when my husband was in the Marines, he was away for many months at a time. The separations after we got Boudicca were far easier than the ones before. I felt a lot more sane carrying on conversations with a cat than with empty air!

Love Saves the Day, despite the sappy name, is a beautiful book. Just keep a pile of tissues handy!

You can find all my reviews at Goddess in the Stacks.

Prudence has spent almost her entire life living with Sarah, a middle-aged woman living an average life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. One day Sarah doesn't return home. A few days later Sarah's daughter Laura and her husband Josh appear to gather belongings and vacate Sarah's apartment for her. Prudence, confused and distraught over Sarah's absence, is taken from her home to settle into a new life with Laura and Josh.

As Prudence tries to figure out what has happened to Sarah, she must adjust to life in Laura and Josh's pristine Upper West Side flat. Shortly after the move, Josh loses his job at a music magazine. He and Laura struggle to communicate, and Laura worries more than ever about maintaining financial security so that the worst won't happen again – that they won't become homeless, just as she and her mother did when she was only 14.

Laura grapples with haunting past memories and angry feelings towards her deceased mother. Through the anger and the uncertainty of what the future holds, Prudence provides much-needed comfort and comic relief. As the characters' relationships change and the past is confronted, it becomes clear just how binding love can be and how it can truly save the day.

This book is mostly told from the point of view of Prudence, a polydactyl tabby cat. I don't think I have ever read a book quite like this; even though Prudence's voice seemed a little snooty and/or cornball (which, what cat isn't aloof or goofy at some point or another?) at times, it was a refreshing POV. The reader gets to examine human interactions and idiosyncrasies from a feline perspective. Kind of interesting.

There were also some chapters written from Sarah and Laura's points of view, which helped to fill the novel and give critical insight into past events. I thought that the balance between past and present was good, and I never felt that important back story info was missing.

Gwen Cooper's writing style was easy to read, and her characters felt relatively well-developed considering how short this book is.

View the full review as well as others at my blog: electricYAWP