Books and beyond

Cozy Up with this Book

The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje
New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2011

The Cat’s Table is a wonderful story for a cold winter’s day.   The year is 1953.  Eleven year-old Michael is summoned from his home in sunny Sri Lanka to London, where his mother resides.  He travels by ship for three weeks, alone although accompanied by two older, somewhat disinterested female relatives.   Michael has his run of the ship.  He joins up with two other boys of similar age and together they discover the secrets of the ship, the beauty of the sea and the exotic ports along the route.  They are like a pack of cats, scurrying about, largely ignored by the grown-ups.  The adults that do take notice would be to us, simply ordinary folks.  But when seen through the eyes of a young boy, the ship becomes a magical place, filled with eccentric, fascinating people.  When you have turned the last page, you will feel as though you have slipped back in time, and have just disembarked from the most remarkable voyage.