Interesting name for a book, no? One might think, “That could only be a POD book.”

True, it is a title you might find hard to pronounce. You might want to call it “Sissy puss” and then blush about it, roll your eyes, or laugh, but I can tell you now, this book is no joke. I would say Patricia Halloff’s book now ranks in the top five books of all I have read this year.

Outside of the 23 Lulu books I have read for this blog alone, I have probably read at least that many traditionally published books for my own pleasure. If you are an animal lover, even if you are not; if you have a beating heart that society hardens from time to time, and you yearn for some emotion to remind you just how fragile life really is sometimes, how life could be much worse for you, then I encourage you to sit and spend a night with this book. It is some of the most brilliant, heartfelt, poignant writing that I have read in some time.

The name of the book comes from the Greek myth of Sisyphus, a king whose punishment was to roll a large boulder up a hill endlessly, only to have to watch it roll back down. Doomed to repeat this process over and over again throughout eternity, the word sisyphean is often used to described a task that is unending, pointless, and repetitive. Now, think about those words for a moment and think about how perfect they are as descriptions of stray pets, cats and dogs left on the streets to fend for themselves. They fight for food and shelter, fending off prey and sickness, often running away from the hands of abusive owners. Yep, it’s a cruel world and the abuse is unending. Enter Sisypuss.

From page one, when Sisypuss is born to a sickly mother who is near death , we are shown a grim world with no hope in sight. The entire book is told from the point-of-view of Sisypuss the cat and his outlook on the sinister unforgiving world. Think of the skinny cat you’ve seen in the alley behind your house, or the animal shelter you pass every day on the way to work. Think of the animal testing facilities that we deny exist. Ms. Halloff leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the harsh reality of the way animals are treated in this country. It is very real. It is no Greek myth.

Being an animal lover myself and owning two cats, I have to admit this book is not the happy fairytale cliche I was probably expecting. It is, however, a wake up call that the treatment of animals is something we should be concerned about. Those of you who may not like books with animals as the central characters, don’t stop reading now.

There are humans in this story, but their central existence as secondary characters only serves the purpose of showing the relationship between humans and animals, as pets, and the delicate boundaries between our world and theirs. But again, these plot lines are no walk in the park. Booley, Sisypuss’s main owner, is battling drug use.

There is an array of other characters, both human and animal, that will definitely keep the pages turning. At times, Halloff’s vivid writing will leave a coppery taste in your mouth. Your chest will hurt from your heart crying out. You may even hang your head in shame for not doing anything to help our furry friends. But above all this, you will come away from this book never once regretting the time you spent reading it. You will learn something, and hopefully we’ll make change. Bravo to Patricia Halloff because her clever and informative writing demands that change!

Read the full review at www.lulubookreview.wordpress.com.

THIS ONE WILL STAY WILL STAY WITH YOU A LONG, LONG TIME!
By Don Blankenship

Sisypuss: Memoirs of a Vagabond Cat by Patricia Halloff is, by any definition, quite an emotional story, and in reading the work, it took quite a lot out of me. The story what the title would indicate; a story of a stray and unwanted cat. Folks, be warned. This is not one of those "kitty is born, wanders around having adventures, some hardships, some fun, and is finally adopted by a loving little girl and lives happily ever after" kind of book; far, far from it! First, a f look at the story line.

Sisypuss is born to a stray cat, a mother of many litters on the edge of death. The birth takes place in a cold, filthy unused dog house. The story is told by our leading character, Sisypuss. It is a cat's eye view of the world, a stray cat, unwanted . Sisypuss is by nature, an optimistic cat always willing to see things in their best light. The story takes us through a world that is all around us, but one which many have never had a glimpse, nor, for that matter, ever imagined. From an overburdened animal shelter, to a horrible compound where animals are kept before being sold to "research" facilities, into the actual facility ( these places do exist, I have had dealings with them), to the open fields, woods and city streets. A grim tale.

Patricia Halloff is an excellent writer. Undoubtedly she knows and understands the nature of cats. With this work the author is not only giving us a story, but she is making a strong statement about animal treatment in this country. Actually, "strong" might not be a strong enough word. She has been most effective in this effort. She has used some rather strong street language in this work, but not gratuitously, and quite effectively. She also has the ability to nail the character of many people quite well. There is not one human character in this work that does not have at least a dozen "clones" in every community. I could introduce you to dozens of them in my area alone. Historians, sociologists and anthropologists have long pointed out one of the benchmarks of any advanced society or civilization is how they treat their animals. I fear we need to take a very close look at ourselves. For me, one of the first characteristics in people I meet is how they treat animals and their attitude toward them. Now me, being me, if the people I meet do not hit my particular, personal standard, they end up off my "list" of people I have anything to do with. This work, for me, reinforces my belief this is a good policy.

This is not a "feel good" read. I can almost promise you will feel quite uncomfortable reading it; at least I hope you do. If you don't, then there is something horribly wrong with you, and you probably need to seek some sort of help. Sometimes books that make us uneasy are the best kind of books. They cause us to think. They can cause us to act. They can direct us in the right direction. They can make us aware of problems that we really do not want to know about, but should. This is one of those books. This book is going to stick with you for a long, long time...I promise! There are times when it is not appropriate to stick your head in the sand and hope it all goes away.

This is a very well written book. The syntax is a bit different, but that is sort of "my thing" and I delighted in it. The story is strong and very well told. The author is an absolute natural story teller. The characters quite believable and the messages are not only important, but rather urgent. I highly recommend this one. It should be noted that proceeds from its sales are donated to organizations fighting animal abuse.

This lurid, heartbreaking tale should be required reading for all children. Yes, it does contain some graphic language; however, I feel that this aspect is outweighed by the book's primary message.

The real moral of this story is that animals have feelings, and endure just as much pain and suffering as we do when mistreated. Humans are all too often sadistic brutes, and this is depicted in the book along with the rare, precious instances of kindness and loving care.

Be forewarned, this book will shock you. It is likely to make you cry if you are an animal lover, and might cause feelings of depression if you did not already know what kind of pain and suffering innocent creatures are so often subjected to by our fellow humans. For some this will be a needed wake-up call.

Contgratulations to the author for her couragous publication of this tale, simultaneously brutally honest and illuminating.