Product Description: DEWEY is the heartwarming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa, as told by his owner and companion of nineteen years, Vicki Myron, the librarian who found him on a frigid January morning when he was abandoned as a kitten in the book drop slot. It is also the story of a remarkable small town, which burned down at the beginning of the Depression, only to rebuild itself, and which was almost shuttered during the farm crisis of the 1980s, before regrouping and rededicating itself to small town American values. Dewey's local charm and worldwide fame became a symbol of hope for this recovering town. Through Dewey's antics, we come to know and love many of the colorful and inspiring people of Spencer. But perhaps the most inspiring person in Spencer is Vicki Myron herself, a single mother who survived the bankruptcy of her family farm and working in a box factory to put two of her brothers through college to become one of the leaders of the Iowa library system. Dewey is one lovable, roguish cat who managed to transform an entire town and inspire people across the globe.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Not what I expected
This book was not at all what I expected. I was very disappointed. By the title expected something on the lines of Marley and Me, this was more of an autobiography rather than the exploits of a cat.
It was well written and kept your interest but if you are looking for a cat story you will also be disappointed.
Rating: - A must read
When I saw this book on Amazon.com I knew it was one that I must read. I own 2 cats and love to read so I was eager to read this story. The story of Dewey is more than just a story of a cat, it is the story of a town, a librarian and life itself.
Dewey's adventures as a library cat were funny and touching and the end of the story came much too soon.
This is a great book for those who want to escape for a few hours.
Rating: - Eww gross
Who wants to go to a liberry with smelling like cat dook? I sure as heck do not. That's why I recommend this book.
Rating: - HEART WARMING
In these troubled times with the economy, it's such a pleasure to read a book so heart warming.
Rating: - A heartwarming story about a cat - or is it?
If you're looking for a story about an apparently very intelligent and lovable cat, you can find it here. If that's what you're focussed on, you can skip a half dozen historical and autobiographical chapters. But the reflective reader will want to read it all, in sequence, and contemplate this story in its full context.
One warning: The picture on the front of the dust cover - which is mentioned a few times in the book - is not reproduced within the text. So don't throw away the dust cover. (Given the success of the book, perhaps the publisher would be willing to put out a deluxe version which includes a few pages of color photographs.)
Oh, one more warning: I do NOT recommend the audio edition. The woman chosen to read it might have done well on a cutesy book which was totally about Dewey, but her manner of reading clashed terribly with this book. (This comment is based on the first half of a ten-minute sample of the audio, available on the publisher's web site.)
For a very different narrative than "Dewey", which ends up in a somewhat similar place, see Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish.
- Not what I expected
- A must read
