What a load of hooey.
It's well-written and heartfelt, and at times, moving, but I really can't get behind most of the self-discovery the author goes on about. I thought this was a book about a lady and her funny, maybe grumpy adventures with her cat. It's not. It's a very intimate look at the inner struggles of a former anorexic-turned-(anti?)diet coach as she comes to grips with her troubled childhood, love, and most of all, death.
The cat plays a part, but he's mainly just the mascot - or more cynically, a cute way to market this downer of a story. A depressed woman, who finally, at the end of her forties, realizes every living thing dies some day. Sound fun? Yeah, I wouldn't have signed up to read it either.
Some readers might find this book enlightening, however. Roth has endless metaphors for feelings, some of them beautiful. Her openness with her worries and memories might also be a comfort to someone experiencing loss.
On the other hand, "Wisdom" from so-called spiritual leaders doesn't impress me. As the book goes on, the quotes from gurus or lines 'some teacher told her once' start to pile up. Homeopathy and acupuncture also make appearances. This, from a woman who turns her nose up at religion. Psychology is listed as one of the keywords for this book, but for those who come hoping for some hard science or reputable theories, the connection is loose at best.
Me, personally, I also don't feel a lot of sympathy for a woman who feels really sad about her life -while having a loving partner, a successful business, caring family and friends, an actual house in Northern California, several books published, -and- enough job flexibility to drop everything whenever she wants to coo over a sick pet. It's just hard to relate to. And easy to wonder if her main problem isn't just that she has, you know, too much time on her hands?
Somebody, somewhere loves this. In 2004, it was probably a splash hit in some book circles. It's just not what this reader was looking for.