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Love Saves the Day
From the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Homer’s Odyssey comes a tender, joyful, utterly unforgettable novel, primarily told through the eyes of the most observant member of any human family: the cat.
Humans best understand the truth of things if they come at it indirectly. Like how sometimes the best way to catch a mouse that’s right in front of you is to back up before you pounce.
So notes Prudence, the irresistible brown tabby at the center of Gwen Cooper’s tender, joyful, utterly unforgettable novel, which is mostly told through the eyes of this curious (and occasionally cranky) feline.
When five-week-old Prudence meets a woman named Sarah in a deserted construction site on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, she knows she’s found the human she was meant to adopt. For three years their lives are filled with laughter, tuna, catnaps, music, and the unchanging routines Prudence craves. Then one day Sarah doesn’t come home. From Prudence’s perch on the windowsill she sees Laura, the daughter who hardly ever comes to visit Sarah, arrive with her new husband. They’re carrying boxes. Before they even get to the front door, Prudence realizes that her life has changed forever.
Suddenly Prudence finds herself living in a strange apartment with humans she barely knows. It could take years to train them in the feline courtesies and customs (for example, a cat should always be fed before the humans, and at the same exact time every day) that Sarah understood so well. Prudence clings to the hope that Sarah will come back for her while Laura, a rising young corporate attorney, tries to push away memories of her mother and the tumultuous childhood spent in her mother’s dusty downtown record store. But the secret joys, past hurts, and life-changing moments that make every mother-daughter relationship special will come to the surface. With Prudence’s help Laura will learn that the past, like a mother’s love, never dies.
Poignant, insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny, Love Saves the Day is a story of hope, healing, and how the love of an animal can make all of us better humans. It’s the story of a mother and daughter divided by the turmoil of bohemian New York, and the opinionated, irrepressible feline who will become the bridge between them. It’s a novel for anyone who’s ever lost a loved one, wondered what their cat was really thinking, or fallen asleep with a purring feline nestled in their arms. Prudence, a cat like no other, is sure to steal your heart.
Praise for Love Saves the Day
“Prudence [is a] sassy but sensitive feline heroine.”—Time
“Unforgettably moving . . . a hard one to put down.”—Modern Cat
“If you are the Most Important Person to a cat, you will hold them much tighter by the book’s end. If you don’t have a cat, Prudence will have surreptitiously lured you into the danger zone: Falling in love with a cat because they need family, too.”—The Vancouver Sun
“Cooper brings readers a fictional tale that cat lovers will treasure. . . . This book will make most readers laugh and cry, and probably lead them to wonder more often what, exactly, their pet is thinking.
Humans best understand the truth of things if they come at it indirectly. Like how sometimes the best way to catch a mouse that’s right in front of you is to back up before you pounce.
So notes Prudence, the irresistible brown tabby at the center of Gwen Cooper’s tender, joyful, utterly unforgettable novel, which is mostly told through the eyes of this curious (and occasionally cranky) feline.
When five-week-old Prudence meets a woman named Sarah in a deserted construction site on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, she knows she’s found the human she was meant to adopt. For three years their lives are filled with laughter, tuna, catnaps, music, and the unchanging routines Prudence craves. Then one day Sarah doesn’t come home. From Prudence’s perch on the windowsill she sees Laura, the daughter who hardly ever comes to visit Sarah, arrive with her new husband. They’re carrying boxes. Before they even get to the front door, Prudence realizes that her life has changed forever.
Suddenly Prudence finds herself living in a strange apartment with humans she barely knows. It could take years to train them in the feline courtesies and customs (for example, a cat should always be fed before the humans, and at the same exact time every day) that Sarah understood so well. Prudence clings to the hope that Sarah will come back for her while Laura, a rising young corporate attorney, tries to push away memories of her mother and the tumultuous childhood spent in her mother’s dusty downtown record store. But the secret joys, past hurts, and life-changing moments that make every mother-daughter relationship special will come to the surface. With Prudence’s help Laura will learn that the past, like a mother’s love, never dies.
Poignant, insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny, Love Saves the Day is a story of hope, healing, and how the love of an animal can make all of us better humans. It’s the story of a mother and daughter divided by the turmoil of bohemian New York, and the opinionated, irrepressible feline who will become the bridge between them. It’s a novel for anyone who’s ever lost a loved one, wondered what their cat was really thinking, or fallen asleep with a purring feline nestled in their arms. Prudence, a cat like no other, is sure to steal your heart.
Praise for Love Saves the Day
“Prudence [is a] sassy but sensitive feline heroine.”—Time
“Unforgettably moving . . . a hard one to put down.”—Modern Cat
“If you are the Most Important Person to a cat, you will hold them much tighter by the book’s end. If you don’t have a cat, Prudence will have surreptitiously lured you into the danger zone: Falling in love with a cat because they need family, too.”—The Vancouver Sun
“Cooper brings readers a fictional tale that cat lovers will treasure. . . . This book will make most readers laugh and cry, and probably lead them to wonder more often what, exactly, their pet is thinking.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2013
363 people are currently reading
2825 people want to read
About the author
Gwen Cooper
49 books559 followersGwen Cooper is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs "Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat" and "Homer: The Ninth Life of a Blind Wonder Cat," and the novels "Love Saves the Day" and "Diary of a South Beach Party Girl."
Her latest project is "Curl Up with a Cat Tale," a first-of-its-kind monthly short-story series, featuring an all-new--and all-true!--humorous and heartfelt tale each and every month about life with her world-famous fur family. (See my website, www.gwencooper.com/cat-tales, for more details and a 60% discount!). Her work has been published in nearly two dozen languages.
Gwen lives in Manhattan with her husband, Laurence. She also lives with her two perfect cats--Clayton the Tripod and his litter-mate, Fanny--who aren't impressed with any of it.
Her latest project is "Curl Up with a Cat Tale," a first-of-its-kind monthly short-story series, featuring an all-new--and all-true!--humorous and heartfelt tale each and every month about life with her world-famous fur family. (See my website, www.gwencooper.com/cat-tales, for more details and a 60% discount!). Her work has been published in nearly two dozen languages.
Gwen lives in Manhattan with her husband, Laurence. She also lives with her two perfect cats--Clayton the Tripod and his litter-mate, Fanny--who aren't impressed with any of it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 601 reviews
November 26, 2018
As a person who rescues cats, this book got me just by looking at its cover. However, the story told in the pages, was even better than the cover.
If you've ever wondered what your pet was thinking, especially a cat, this fur baby voicing his opinion in this book will enlighten you and entertain you, make you laugh, and touch your heartstrings.
Prudence is the star of the book, and the one telling the story. She meets the human she was meant to adopt when she was only a mere 5 weeks old and sitting in an abandoned construction site. Sarah takes Prudence into her warm embrace and Prudence loves her right back.
Prudence's life, however, takes a decidedly unpleasant turn some years later when Sarah fails to return home from work. Sarah knows how important maintaining a schedule is to Prudence, so Prudence knows something is wrong, especially when Laura, Sarah's daughter, who rarely shows up, comes into the home bearing boxes. Prudence is uprooted from her home and finds herself living in an apartment with humans she hardly knows - and much worse - they don't know her routine and schedule!! Training them will take more patience than Prudence may have.
This is a delightful book and one I intend to read over and over.
If you've ever wondered what your pet was thinking, especially a cat, this fur baby voicing his opinion in this book will enlighten you and entertain you, make you laugh, and touch your heartstrings.
Prudence is the star of the book, and the one telling the story. She meets the human she was meant to adopt when she was only a mere 5 weeks old and sitting in an abandoned construction site. Sarah takes Prudence into her warm embrace and Prudence loves her right back.
Prudence's life, however, takes a decidedly unpleasant turn some years later when Sarah fails to return home from work. Sarah knows how important maintaining a schedule is to Prudence, so Prudence knows something is wrong, especially when Laura, Sarah's daughter, who rarely shows up, comes into the home bearing boxes. Prudence is uprooted from her home and finds herself living in an apartment with humans she hardly knows - and much worse - they don't know her routine and schedule!! Training them will take more patience than Prudence may have.
This is a delightful book and one I intend to read over and over.
January 17, 2020
Well, now that I've stopped sobbing, let's get to the review.
A lot of people will look at the title and cover of this book, note that the story is told in part from the point of view of a cat, and then bypass it. That's unfortunate because there's nothing gimmicky or cheesy about Love Saves the Day; it's a well-constructed, affecting novel about grief, regret, and reconciling with the past. This is the story of Laura and her mother Sarah, whose close and loving relationship become almost irreparably strained on the day in 1995 when the building they lived in on Manhattan's Lower East Side was condemned and Laura, then 15, and Sarah were forced to move. As the book opens, Laura is almost 30, newly married, and on the partnership track at a white shoe law firm, when Sarah suddenly dies of a heart condition Laura knew nothing about. Sarah has left instructions that her cat Prudence is to live with Laura, and it's through Prudence's eyes as she tries to figures out where Sarah has gone and how she can make her come back that we see how awkward the mother and daughter were with each other, Sarah chattering away nervously during Laura's infrequent visits and Laura's sudden flashes of anger or annoyance. As the story progresses, the point of view shifts to Laura's and then to Sarah's, and the terrible events of the day in 1995 are, after earlier oblique references, finally revealed.
In the hands of a lesser writer, I think the characters could easily have devolved into caricatures -- the bohemian mom and her career-driven daughter -- but Cooper is a talented and subtle writer and instead gives us two fully realized people and does an equally good job with Prudence the cat and the other humans who play smaller but important roles in the story. There are no villains here (aside from the faceless real estate developers and maybe Rudy Giuliani), only ordinary people doing their best to get through life, sometimes falling down, and sometimes finding that soldiering on contains its own kind of grace. Not to get sappy and weird about it because they are, after all, fictional characters, but in the week since I finished the book, I find myself missing them all a little. Love Saves the Day might be wrongly dismissed as "a cat book," and so I don't know if Cooper will reach an audience wider than the one she gained after Homer's Odyssey, but she definitely deserves to.
A lot of people will look at the title and cover of this book, note that the story is told in part from the point of view of a cat, and then bypass it. That's unfortunate because there's nothing gimmicky or cheesy about Love Saves the Day; it's a well-constructed, affecting novel about grief, regret, and reconciling with the past. This is the story of Laura and her mother Sarah, whose close and loving relationship become almost irreparably strained on the day in 1995 when the building they lived in on Manhattan's Lower East Side was condemned and Laura, then 15, and Sarah were forced to move. As the book opens, Laura is almost 30, newly married, and on the partnership track at a white shoe law firm, when Sarah suddenly dies of a heart condition Laura knew nothing about. Sarah has left instructions that her cat Prudence is to live with Laura, and it's through Prudence's eyes as she tries to figures out where Sarah has gone and how she can make her come back that we see how awkward the mother and daughter were with each other, Sarah chattering away nervously during Laura's infrequent visits and Laura's sudden flashes of anger or annoyance. As the story progresses, the point of view shifts to Laura's and then to Sarah's, and the terrible events of the day in 1995 are, after earlier oblique references, finally revealed.
In the hands of a lesser writer, I think the characters could easily have devolved into caricatures -- the bohemian mom and her career-driven daughter -- but Cooper is a talented and subtle writer and instead gives us two fully realized people and does an equally good job with Prudence the cat and the other humans who play smaller but important roles in the story. There are no villains here (aside from the faceless real estate developers and maybe Rudy Giuliani), only ordinary people doing their best to get through life, sometimes falling down, and sometimes finding that soldiering on contains its own kind of grace. Not to get sappy and weird about it because they are, after all, fictional characters, but in the week since I finished the book, I find myself missing them all a little. Love Saves the Day might be wrongly dismissed as "a cat book," and so I don't know if Cooper will reach an audience wider than the one she gained after Homer's Odyssey, but she definitely deserves to.
January 30, 2013
Gwen Cooper is coming out with another cat book?!
The very same woman who wrote Homer's Odyssey?! ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS EVER?!
After Reading it
Look at the cover of this book.
Look at it.
Look at the title.
Do you see what I'm seeing?
An adorable kitty looking at you with big green eyes and a nice, kind of cheesy title Love Saves the Day?
That adorable little kitty.....is a liar.
I was expecting a cute, fluffy, makes-you-feel-warm-inside kind of book.
What I got?
A slow paced, gut-wrenchingly depressing, sad story, yet has a happy ending.
This was me during the last 50 pages of this book;
The very same woman who wrote Homer's Odyssey?! ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS EVER?!
After Reading it
Look at the cover of this book.
Look at it.
Look at the title.
Do you see what I'm seeing?
An adorable kitty looking at you with big green eyes and a nice, kind of cheesy title Love Saves the Day?
That adorable little kitty.....is a liar.
I was expecting a cute, fluffy, makes-you-feel-warm-inside kind of book.
What I got?
A slow paced, gut-wrenchingly depressing, sad story, yet has a happy ending.
This was me during the last 50 pages of this book;
December 24, 2012
I must confess I’m more of a dog person, although I’ve been owned by a few cats in my lifetime. When I got this book as a break from my usual dog books, I thought it would be a sweet quirky story from a cat’s point of view; I was wrong. It does start out that way with Prudence (the cat) narrating, but this is so much more, as the author winds her story between the cat, the mother and the daughter’s memories. Love Saves the Day is about the things left unsaid, miscommunications and how everyone remembers things differently. I loved it; every heart tugging page. All the characters seemed like someone I’ve known, almost like family.
Anyone who has loved a cat, or who has suffered a loss will be touched by this story. There’s an extra bonus for music lovers of the 1960’s -1990’s especially those that remember the New York music scene in late 1970’s. Prudence is named for a Beatle song, now try and get that out of your head, I keep humming Dear Prudence. Since I didn’t know who Gwen Cooper was before I read this book, I now need to go back and read more by her. Definite 5 stars for this heart tugging story of love after loss.
Anyone who has loved a cat, or who has suffered a loss will be touched by this story. There’s an extra bonus for music lovers of the 1960’s -1990’s especially those that remember the New York music scene in late 1970’s. Prudence is named for a Beatle song, now try and get that out of your head, I keep humming Dear Prudence. Since I didn’t know who Gwen Cooper was before I read this book, I now need to go back and read more by her. Definite 5 stars for this heart tugging story of love after loss.
November 11, 2012
This book is definitely recommended for cat lovers but I'm not sure how non-cat fans would take to it. The story is (mostly) told from the perspective of Prudence, a brown tabby, who's been uprooted from her home and her human and taken to live elsewhere. She doesn't realize what's happened and why she has to live with the daughter of her owner.
It was a bit slow to start and it took some time to get used to the "cutesy" way the cat would explain things. Some stuff was beyond cutesy, venturing into the annoying territory. But the story picked up maybe midway through and I started to enjoy it. One thing that I did find jarring was all of a sudden one of the chapters was from the perspective of another character or told from third-person. After a bunch of chapters from the cat's perspective, this felt like cheating even though the story probably couldn't have advanced the way the author wanted without this.
One really interesting (and anger-inducing!) thing I learned from this book was the real story of a tenement building in NYC that was demolished in the 90s without any notice given to its residents. I thought that kind of thing only happened in other countries, and it was really astonishing to learn that it happened right here in the US, in the 1990s, in NYC! I'm planning to learn more about that incident. I liked that the book included an acknowledgements section in which the author listed some of the books that helped her write this one, such as books about music, the Lower East Side, and Alphabet City.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars, mostly for the last 1/3 of the book, which I enjoyed.
Note: I received this from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
It was a bit slow to start and it took some time to get used to the "cutesy" way the cat would explain things. Some stuff was beyond cutesy, venturing into the annoying territory. But the story picked up maybe midway through and I started to enjoy it. One thing that I did find jarring was all of a sudden one of the chapters was from the perspective of another character or told from third-person. After a bunch of chapters from the cat's perspective, this felt like cheating even though the story probably couldn't have advanced the way the author wanted without this.
One really interesting (and anger-inducing!) thing I learned from this book was the real story of a tenement building in NYC that was demolished in the 90s without any notice given to its residents. I thought that kind of thing only happened in other countries, and it was really astonishing to learn that it happened right here in the US, in the 1990s, in NYC! I'm planning to learn more about that incident. I liked that the book included an acknowledgements section in which the author listed some of the books that helped her write this one, such as books about music, the Lower East Side, and Alphabet City.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars, mostly for the last 1/3 of the book, which I enjoyed.
Note: I received this from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.
May 16, 2015
Told in three different points of view, Love Saves the Day though at times heart-breaking and thought provoking did not do much for me in the end.
This story is told from three points of view. The first POV is from Sarah a 40 plus year old woman living in the Lower East Side in Manhattan. The second POV is told from Laura, Sarah's slightly estranged daughter. And the third POV is told from Sarah's cat Prudence's point of view.
The most engaging perspective for me by far was any chapters told from Prudence's point of view. I smiled, laughed, and teared up a few time. Reading Prudence and how she and Sarah are "roommates" and how Sarah and Prudence first found each other was very sweet.
I was very fascinated by Sarah's life before and after she had Laura and I wish that Ms. Cooper had devoted more time to developing Sarah's back-story. To read abut how Sarah was involved in the music scene in the 1970s and her life as a record store owner.
Laura's chapters until almost the very end really were just frustrating to read. What led to Laura's partial estrangement from Sarah honestly doesn't make a lot of sense after you read the story. If anything once you read the full story you kind of want to shake Laura and tell her to get over it.
If Ms. Cooper had told the entire story from Prudence's point of view I think this would have been a five star book hands down. I think it also didn't help that Prudence and Sarah's chapters were told from the first person point of view and Laura's chapters were told in the third person. I think that hurt my ability to connect with Laura.
The plot really is about Prudence and how she came to live with Sarah and Laura and how Laura ultimately is able to come to terms with her past.
When the story is told from Prudence's point of view the writing at times is haughty, self-absorbed, funny, and wise. So pretty much it sounds like how a cat would sound.
Stories told in Laura's voice includes writing that I find to be flat and boring at times. I think it's because as I said earlier it was told in the third person point of view so it was hard to engage with her story.
The pacing was off too since we go from present, to past, to present and back again depending on who is "speaking" in the chapter you are reading.
The setting of the Lower East Side really feels like a living and breathing place. I think that Ms. Cooper including a real life event of a building being condemned and torn down in a manner of hours in 1998 made things feel even more alive. I wish that Ms. Cooper had added in more details of Sarah's life during the Disco era in New York. I found it so interesting.
The ending was done very well and I liked how things were not just automatically tied up with a great big bow at the end. We realize that Laura and her family are still having to deal with some pretty big events soon and not everything is settled.
Though I think that this may not be a story for everyone I do think parts of it worked pretty well. I definitely think this is a 3.5 star book.
This story is told from three points of view. The first POV is from Sarah a 40 plus year old woman living in the Lower East Side in Manhattan. The second POV is told from Laura, Sarah's slightly estranged daughter. And the third POV is told from Sarah's cat Prudence's point of view.
The most engaging perspective for me by far was any chapters told from Prudence's point of view. I smiled, laughed, and teared up a few time. Reading Prudence and how she and Sarah are "roommates" and how Sarah and Prudence first found each other was very sweet.
I was very fascinated by Sarah's life before and after she had Laura and I wish that Ms. Cooper had devoted more time to developing Sarah's back-story. To read abut how Sarah was involved in the music scene in the 1970s and her life as a record store owner.
Laura's chapters until almost the very end really were just frustrating to read. What led to Laura's partial estrangement from Sarah honestly doesn't make a lot of sense after you read the story. If anything once you read the full story you kind of want to shake Laura and tell her to get over it.
If Ms. Cooper had told the entire story from Prudence's point of view I think this would have been a five star book hands down. I think it also didn't help that Prudence and Sarah's chapters were told from the first person point of view and Laura's chapters were told in the third person. I think that hurt my ability to connect with Laura.
The plot really is about Prudence and how she came to live with Sarah and Laura and how Laura ultimately is able to come to terms with her past.
When the story is told from Prudence's point of view the writing at times is haughty, self-absorbed, funny, and wise. So pretty much it sounds like how a cat would sound.
Stories told in Laura's voice includes writing that I find to be flat and boring at times. I think it's because as I said earlier it was told in the third person point of view so it was hard to engage with her story.
The pacing was off too since we go from present, to past, to present and back again depending on who is "speaking" in the chapter you are reading.
The setting of the Lower East Side really feels like a living and breathing place. I think that Ms. Cooper including a real life event of a building being condemned and torn down in a manner of hours in 1998 made things feel even more alive. I wish that Ms. Cooper had added in more details of Sarah's life during the Disco era in New York. I found it so interesting.
The ending was done very well and I liked how things were not just automatically tied up with a great big bow at the end. We realize that Laura and her family are still having to deal with some pretty big events soon and not everything is settled.
Though I think that this may not be a story for everyone I do think parts of it worked pretty well. I definitely think this is a 3.5 star book.
November 26, 2017
I have wanted to buy this book for YEARS. No, seriously. Every time I saw it on my to-read list, I'd grit my teeth and plan to buy it, but it just never happened. I knew when I finally put it on an online order a few weeks ago that I wanted to read it right away. I'm glad I did!
I loved Gwen's true story of Homer, and I knew that I would love the fictional Prudence as well. Gwen just knows cats, and I liked how she made Prudence think and interact with her humans. I adored the way the story softly drew you in, until you just HAD to know what happened, and what would happen. Plus, it's just so damn sad in places that you can't help but be drawn in. I sure was!
My only shame is how long it took me to hunt down this book and read it. I loved it, and I'm sure if you love cats then you will too! Five stars!
I loved Gwen's true story of Homer, and I knew that I would love the fictional Prudence as well. Gwen just knows cats, and I liked how she made Prudence think and interact with her humans. I adored the way the story softly drew you in, until you just HAD to know what happened, and what would happen. Plus, it's just so damn sad in places that you can't help but be drawn in. I sure was!
My only shame is how long it took me to hunt down this book and read it. I loved it, and I'm sure if you love cats then you will too! Five stars!
February 10, 2016
Struggled reading this book as the cat's voice irritated me. Eventually when the story became interwoven, it was okay, but I still struggled with the concept and thought it could be better executed.
Or maybe I'm bitter and twisted about family dynamics and cats haha.
Or maybe I'm bitter and twisted about family dynamics and cats haha.
January 11, 2019
Loved it.
I think people are prone with coming up with their own ideas of what a book is going to be about before reading it, and I was guilty of doing this too. I fully expected a sappy love story, which is one of my least favorite things to read in fiction. I'd read Cooper's books about Homer already and decided to give this book a chance, despite my reservations on the title.
I 100% loved it! Love plays a huge role in this book, as it does in our every day lives. It's not about falling in love, or romantic style love, but just about love in itself. Love is kind of the thing that can help to save us when we're drowning or otherwise falling apart.
It's more than that too. It's also a heartbreaking story of a Mother and Daughter who don't get along very well after an intense and traumatic moment in their lives. This aspect spoke volumes to me, because I don't always get along very well with my own mother. Most certainly I didn't when I was younger. There are a lot of things you realize about your parents as you get older, and this book reflected that quite well.
Most of the story is told through the viewpoint of Prudence, a very opinionated cat who once belonged to the mother and now belongs to the daughter. It was a clever device for narration, and made me talk a little more to my own two cats when I'm around them. Maybe they do understand English and I'm the one being insulting by going "meow meow meow".
This book, it's great. I smiled, I cried and I relished the overlying theme of love and acceptance. Most of what I read is dark, and most of the time I assume my heart is dark too, but this was a very nice departure from the norm and I will definitely continue to read whatever Gwen Cooper puts out there.
I think people are prone with coming up with their own ideas of what a book is going to be about before reading it, and I was guilty of doing this too. I fully expected a sappy love story, which is one of my least favorite things to read in fiction. I'd read Cooper's books about Homer already and decided to give this book a chance, despite my reservations on the title.
I 100% loved it! Love plays a huge role in this book, as it does in our every day lives. It's not about falling in love, or romantic style love, but just about love in itself. Love is kind of the thing that can help to save us when we're drowning or otherwise falling apart.
It's more than that too. It's also a heartbreaking story of a Mother and Daughter who don't get along very well after an intense and traumatic moment in their lives. This aspect spoke volumes to me, because I don't always get along very well with my own mother. Most certainly I didn't when I was younger. There are a lot of things you realize about your parents as you get older, and this book reflected that quite well.
Most of the story is told through the viewpoint of Prudence, a very opinionated cat who once belonged to the mother and now belongs to the daughter. It was a clever device for narration, and made me talk a little more to my own two cats when I'm around them. Maybe they do understand English and I'm the one being insulting by going "meow meow meow".
This book, it's great. I smiled, I cried and I relished the overlying theme of love and acceptance. Most of what I read is dark, and most of the time I assume my heart is dark too, but this was a very nice departure from the norm and I will definitely continue to read whatever Gwen Cooper puts out there.
March 10, 2013
I loved Gwen's other book, Homer's Odyssey, and I'd recommend that for anyone who's thinking about getting a blind or otherwise "special" pet.
And I wanted to like this one too. This one has a kitty hero too, so it should be as likable, right? What I liked best was the perspective of Prudence, the kitty.
But there were too many things that made it much less enjoyable than Homer's Odyssey. It seemed too long considering the ingredients - perhaps a 60 page novella would have worked better. Prudence was likable, as was her first human, Sarah. But the other characters felt flat and one-dimensional. Especially Laura, a 30-year daughter of Sarah, who ends up with Prudence. Self-centered, money-obsessed, with a bad self esteem she thinks she can hide in her ah so successful career. There were elements that add to the story, such as 1) difficulties in housing in Manhattan from the past decades 2) music history in Manhattan 3) orthodox Jewish celebrations and 4) more Manhattan - if you like those elements being among the main ingredients in a story that was supposed to be about cats and humans. Those elements with the flat human characters made it surprisingly boring.
And I wanted to like this one too. This one has a kitty hero too, so it should be as likable, right? What I liked best was the perspective of Prudence, the kitty.
But there were too many things that made it much less enjoyable than Homer's Odyssey. It seemed too long considering the ingredients - perhaps a 60 page novella would have worked better. Prudence was likable, as was her first human, Sarah. But the other characters felt flat and one-dimensional. Especially Laura, a 30-year daughter of Sarah, who ends up with Prudence. Self-centered, money-obsessed, with a bad self esteem she thinks she can hide in her ah so successful career. There were elements that add to the story, such as 1) difficulties in housing in Manhattan from the past decades 2) music history in Manhattan 3) orthodox Jewish celebrations and 4) more Manhattan - if you like those elements being among the main ingredients in a story that was supposed to be about cats and humans. Those elements with the flat human characters made it surprisingly boring.
December 30, 2016
As a human who is owned by a very feisty and opinionated cat, I truly loved that this book is in part narrated by Prudence the cat. She has such a personality! It is also heartbreaking to know right away that Prudence's "Most Important Person" has died and isn't coming back. Fortunately, Prudence's owner's daughter Laura adopts Prudence and while as a human narrator we know it's going to be okay, seeing the move and the grieving of daughter for estranged mother is heartbreaking.
Laura is a newlywed, has been estranged from her mother for years and a terrible workaholic. As all these stories unfold, and Prudence starts to see herself as Laura's comfort, and then begins to recognize Laura as her "Most Important Person" I giggled and cried and just couldn't stop reading. Whether you are owned by a cat or not this is a great story, but if you are owned by a cat, you will love it even more.
Laura is a newlywed, has been estranged from her mother for years and a terrible workaholic. As all these stories unfold, and Prudence starts to see herself as Laura's comfort, and then begins to recognize Laura as her "Most Important Person" I giggled and cried and just couldn't stop reading. Whether you are owned by a cat or not this is a great story, but if you are owned by a cat, you will love it even more.
May 10, 2013
It has been a long time since I read a novel (I read a lot of non-fiction lately), and I was delighted by this adorable and moving depiction of a troubled daughter/mother relationship... seen by a cat.
True, as some other reviews suggest, this is a perfect (purrfect?) book for cat lovers (I am one cat lover). But I think anyone opened to try it will find the kitty perspective as bringing a different light on the misunderstandings between a mother and a daughter who love each other but who barely talk to each other after a tragic event in their lives.
Prudence, the cat heroine of the book, also brings humor!
I really enjoyed this book. My only regret is that I waited so long to read it!
Highly recommended.
***I received a review copy of the book for free through Goodreads First Reads***
True, as some other reviews suggest, this is a perfect (purrfect?) book for cat lovers (I am one cat lover). But I think anyone opened to try it will find the kitty perspective as bringing a different light on the misunderstandings between a mother and a daughter who love each other but who barely talk to each other after a tragic event in their lives.
Prudence, the cat heroine of the book, also brings humor!
I really enjoyed this book. My only regret is that I waited so long to read it!
Highly recommended.
***I received a review copy of the book for free through Goodreads First Reads***
December 10, 2019
I have no idea why I picked up this book to read. I’m not a ‘cat person’ and don’t generally like romance novels. A: this is not a romance....and B: the cat is an engaging character! Any of us with pets must admit at one time or another we really wanted to know what our pet was thinking. Prudence the cat certainly gives some insight into a pet perspective.
This book is about so many things beyond the cat. Love, loss, choices, grief, relationships. A worthwhile read.
This book is about so many things beyond the cat. Love, loss, choices, grief, relationships. A worthwhile read.
December 5, 2018
Oh my goodness! All the feels! Read page 61 where Prudence ( the cat and main narrator) describes a vacuum cleaner! You will laugh so hard! And then later when Prudence finally realizes.... well, that would be giving too much away! But suffice to say you will go through every emotion you have when you read this book!
October 6, 2023
Some books are deceptive in how they look like they will be and how they turn out, which is why I was really surprised when they adorable and relaxing sounding cat book from Homer’s owner that I had picked it for my wife to listen to on a long drive turned out to be something entirely different.
This book looks like a pedestrian cute book about a cat, well it isn’t! The first chapter looks like it will be that kind of story, but the author builds that illusion I just to tear it down. The story about a mother, her daughter, her daughter’s husband, and Prudence the cat is an incredibly powerful tale of love, loss, and rebuilding a life from demolished foundations.
The human characters are very good, thoughtfully composed and emotionally rich, but it is the narration of Prudence, from her sincere and innocent point of view, that frames this book into something very special.
I highly recommend this book as a heart wrenching and warming close to home drama, that will leave you on the edge of your seat chapter after chapter.
This book looks like a pedestrian cute book about a cat, well it isn’t! The first chapter looks like it will be that kind of story, but the author builds that illusion I just to tear it down. The story about a mother, her daughter, her daughter’s husband, and Prudence the cat is an incredibly powerful tale of love, loss, and rebuilding a life from demolished foundations.
The human characters are very good, thoughtfully composed and emotionally rich, but it is the narration of Prudence, from her sincere and innocent point of view, that frames this book into something very special.
I highly recommend this book as a heart wrenching and warming close to home drama, that will leave you on the edge of your seat chapter after chapter.
August 11, 2016
I would give this book a 3.5. Seen through the eyes of several characters. Prudence is a cat. She has lived with Sarah for a few years. Prudence likes her person Sarah a lot. they get along fine. Sadly Sarah leaves their home and does not come back. We find out later that Sarah has died. Enter Laura, Sarah's daughter. she cleans out the apartment and has no choice but to take Prudence with her. Laura is nothing like Sarah so this is hard for Prudence we see how this is for Prudence since a good part of the book is seen through Prudence's eyes. The book also follows the goings on of Laura, Sarah from years ago and Laura's boyfriend Josh. I liked the parts of the book that is seen through the cat Prudence's point of view. the other parts were not as interesting to me. Okay for the most part. the author shows a good sense of humor with trying to see from the viewpoint of the cat.
December 15, 2024
I loved this book! The narration from Prudence the cat was spot on! With alternating chapters between Prudence and Sarah and Laura it was such an engaging story. From the book jacket “Poignant, insightful, and laugh out loud, funny, Love Saves the Day is a story of hope, healing, and how the love of an animal can make all of us better humans. It’s the story of a mother and daughter divided by the turmoil of bohemian New York and the opinionated, irrepressible feline who will become the bridge between them.”
March 31, 2020
Author Gwen Cooper's depiction of the cat Prudence in this story gave me a deeper understanding of my own cat, and I feel I understand her better. In the book, Prudence is rescued as an abandoned kitten on the streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side by a woman named Sarah. Through the thoughts of Prudence, we learn that she and Sarah become close but one day Sarah does not come home. Instead, her daughter Laura and husband Josh, appear to clean out Sarah's apartment. Prudence hears Laura tell Josh her mother has left the cat to her. Most of this heartwarming story is revealed through observations by the cat. Loving scenes weave their way through the book but my favorites depicted the antics of the "litter mates", Josh's niece and nephew who come to help with his projects.
January 31, 2021
I needed this book, sweet, heartwarming and funny. The story is mostly told by a cat 🐈 named Prudence.
May 26, 2015
Love Saves the Day is a highly unusual book because the main character is the cat, Prudence, and it is told mostly from her point of view. I have always believed that cats are VERY misunderstood - and 90% of this book goes to prove my theory. So I was very happy to find and read it!
There is, unfortunately, some 10% of the time when Prudence does, in fact, take on that stereotypical attitude that "cats are smarter than humans." I really wish that this book had not gone there at all - but - like I said - the majority of the time we learn that cats are actually not so aloof and superior as we think they are. In fact, cats suffer from a lot of anxiety - especially related to change - and we see this in Prudence.
Prudence truly loved Sarah - who found her as a kitten when she was accidentally separated from her littermates. Sarah is her Most Important Person, and so Prudence is confused when Sarah leaves for work one day and does not return. For most of the book, Prudence is devastated that Sarah has left and tries to hold onto the hope that Sarah will come back for her. While the reader may suspect the truth sooner, Prudence does not learn until about 3/4 of the way through that Sarah has passed away. And then she wonders why no one bothered to tell her such important news! Prudence misses Sarah so much that she has trouble sleeping until she is given one of Sarah's old dresses that still has the Sarah smell on it. This book will truly make you think twice about what your cat, or any pet really, sees and hears in your home.
Prudence is taken to live with Sarah's daughter, Laura, and Laura's husband Josh. At first, Laura is not really happy about having Prudence there, but as time goes on we see how Prudence and Laura both help each other get through losing Sarah. This is a very touching story that cat lovers will, of course, love. But all the cat haters out there really should read it too - it might just make you change your attitude.
Elements of the story are based on true events. Evidently, there was a condemned building on New York City's Lower East Side that was torn down about 20 years ago. The residents were simply evacuated and not given any time to gather their belongings. In the story, Laura lived with her mother in this building. The day they were kicked out of their home and lost all their belongings, Laura also lost the neighbor's cat, Honey, whom she had been very close to. Honey was lost in the building demolition along with other pets in the building. The authorities, very cruelly, would not even let anyone go back in to save their pets! What a truly horrible event! I don't fully understand how such a thing could have happened.
The trauma of the event, though, drives a wedge between Laura and her mother. Laura and Sarah had been very close, but never were again after that horrible day. Laura somehow blamed her mother's love of music, and wanting to live on the Lower East Side in the first place, for what had happened to them. I have to confess that I don't truly understand Laura's motivations here. It doesn't seem like it was Sarah's fault. It is implied that Laura just needed someone to blame - being young and not knowing how to deal with the trauma. It's very sad though because Sarah is dead and there was no reconciliation.
Another major factor in this story is the music scene on the Lower East Side at that time. It's actually very interesting, if like me, you don't know much about it. Sarah had tried to be a DJ -- not easy for a woman at that time and eventually opened a record store. The situation is made even worse for Laura when Josh takes an interest in Sarah's large music collection - Prudence calls them "black disks." And even worse when Josh - knowing nothing about the day that changed Laura's life forever - decides to help save another building that is about to be torn down in Laura's old neighborhood. Laura is horrified by this - it's like the past coming back to haunt her when all she wants to do is move forward.
Since Prudence cannot, obviously, know everything, we do get a few chapters from Laura's point of view and a few even from Sarah's to round out the story. But I truly loved the chapters that are from Prudence's point of view! She is so sweet and the things that she doesn't fully understand are written in such a way that we do. Although Prudence is a smart and very perceptive cat and understands a lot more than you would think. This story is clever and entertaining, heartwarming and a bit sad, but also very uplifting.
There is, unfortunately, some 10% of the time when Prudence does, in fact, take on that stereotypical attitude that "cats are smarter than humans." I really wish that this book had not gone there at all - but - like I said - the majority of the time we learn that cats are actually not so aloof and superior as we think they are. In fact, cats suffer from a lot of anxiety - especially related to change - and we see this in Prudence.
Prudence truly loved Sarah - who found her as a kitten when she was accidentally separated from her littermates. Sarah is her Most Important Person, and so Prudence is confused when Sarah leaves for work one day and does not return. For most of the book, Prudence is devastated that Sarah has left and tries to hold onto the hope that Sarah will come back for her. While the reader may suspect the truth sooner, Prudence does not learn until about 3/4 of the way through that Sarah has passed away. And then she wonders why no one bothered to tell her such important news! Prudence misses Sarah so much that she has trouble sleeping until she is given one of Sarah's old dresses that still has the Sarah smell on it. This book will truly make you think twice about what your cat, or any pet really, sees and hears in your home.
Prudence is taken to live with Sarah's daughter, Laura, and Laura's husband Josh. At first, Laura is not really happy about having Prudence there, but as time goes on we see how Prudence and Laura both help each other get through losing Sarah. This is a very touching story that cat lovers will, of course, love. But all the cat haters out there really should read it too - it might just make you change your attitude.
Elements of the story are based on true events. Evidently, there was a condemned building on New York City's Lower East Side that was torn down about 20 years ago. The residents were simply evacuated and not given any time to gather their belongings. In the story, Laura lived with her mother in this building. The day they were kicked out of their home and lost all their belongings, Laura also lost the neighbor's cat, Honey, whom she had been very close to. Honey was lost in the building demolition along with other pets in the building. The authorities, very cruelly, would not even let anyone go back in to save their pets! What a truly horrible event! I don't fully understand how such a thing could have happened.
The trauma of the event, though, drives a wedge between Laura and her mother. Laura and Sarah had been very close, but never were again after that horrible day. Laura somehow blamed her mother's love of music, and wanting to live on the Lower East Side in the first place, for what had happened to them. I have to confess that I don't truly understand Laura's motivations here. It doesn't seem like it was Sarah's fault. It is implied that Laura just needed someone to blame - being young and not knowing how to deal with the trauma. It's very sad though because Sarah is dead and there was no reconciliation.
Another major factor in this story is the music scene on the Lower East Side at that time. It's actually very interesting, if like me, you don't know much about it. Sarah had tried to be a DJ -- not easy for a woman at that time and eventually opened a record store. The situation is made even worse for Laura when Josh takes an interest in Sarah's large music collection - Prudence calls them "black disks." And even worse when Josh - knowing nothing about the day that changed Laura's life forever - decides to help save another building that is about to be torn down in Laura's old neighborhood. Laura is horrified by this - it's like the past coming back to haunt her when all she wants to do is move forward.
Since Prudence cannot, obviously, know everything, we do get a few chapters from Laura's point of view and a few even from Sarah's to round out the story. But I truly loved the chapters that are from Prudence's point of view! She is so sweet and the things that she doesn't fully understand are written in such a way that we do. Although Prudence is a smart and very perceptive cat and understands a lot more than you would think. This story is clever and entertaining, heartwarming and a bit sad, but also very uplifting.
December 5, 2018
Years ago, my husband Jordan read and loved Homer's Odyssey, Gwen Cooper's memoir about living with her cat, Homer the Blind Wonder-Cat. So when I saw this novel by the same author, again about a cat, in a Buy 2-Get 1 Free sale, I picked it up. I was looking for a distracting novel that wasn't overly sad, wasn't about a romantic relationship, and wasn't enormous. This fit the bill along with a high Goodreads rating, which made it an easy decision.
And in a way it is about a romantic relationship, as Sarah is most definitely in love with New York City. She moved to the city the minute she graduated from high school at 17 to live with her best friend, Anise, who she'd met at a Lower East Side vintage store called Love Saves the Day. Anise joins a rock and roll band and becomes very successful, while Sarah marries young, has a daughter, Laura, and quickly gets divorced. Sarah sets aside her own rock and roll dreams and instead finagles opening a record store which allows her to be around the music she loves, and have a flexible schedule and be her own boss, so she can be a great single mom.
But this back story isn't revealed right away. We start out with an older Sarah living alone in a run-down apartment, with her cat Prudence. Prudence is mostly our narrator (I wish she could have been our 100% narrator but I see how that would have been quite tricky in a few places.) Sarah found her as a soaking wet kitten in an empty lot, and say the Beatles song "Hey Prudence" to get her to come out. Sarah works as a typist in a legal office, Anise still comes over a fair amount, and while her life is small and quiet, she's fairly happy. Except that her daughter Laura is difficult with her. Something happened in their past that was brutal and scarring and changed their relationship forever. Laura does come over to visit monthly, but it's very obviously reluctant and resentful, and neither woman is able to bring themselves to discuss the hurt feelings and the past.
And then Sarah dies. And it's too late. She stated in her will very clearly that she wanted Laura to take Prudence, so the tabby cat moves to the Upper West Side with Laura and her husband Josh in their high-rise apartment, and she tries to sort out what's happened and if she's okay with this new living arrangement. And she spends a lot of time remembering Sarah, waiting for Sarah to return, and nestling in Sarah's things in the spare room.
Prudence is kind of oblivious to what's going on with her humans, except as it impacts her, but eventually she does break down Laura's barriers, and we readers also get to know more of what's happening in the human lives (the chapters occasionally switch to be Laura-, and later Sarah-focused, third-person). This story is so imbued with New York that it literally couldn't take place anywhere else. The horrible thing in the past isn't an everyday thing, not experienced by many people, but I think everyone can relate to it (and it's based in history--Ms. Cooper includes details in the endnotes about the real event.) And more likely, everyone can relate to the emotional aftermath. And the silence that can descend. A silence, a refusal to discuss an event that becomes almost A Law in a relationship, and can feel inviolable.
I don't know if I've ever read a book before that deals with the so-common situation of a person dying without having resolved everything in their relationships, and how the survivors might be able to come to resolution themselves down the road. That's a really important topic that more books should tackle. And how animals can not only provide comfort, but can even bring us emotional health. And yes, I read this mostly with my cat Turkey snuggled up against my leg.
And in a way it is about a romantic relationship, as Sarah is most definitely in love with New York City. She moved to the city the minute she graduated from high school at 17 to live with her best friend, Anise, who she'd met at a Lower East Side vintage store called Love Saves the Day. Anise joins a rock and roll band and becomes very successful, while Sarah marries young, has a daughter, Laura, and quickly gets divorced. Sarah sets aside her own rock and roll dreams and instead finagles opening a record store which allows her to be around the music she loves, and have a flexible schedule and be her own boss, so she can be a great single mom.
But this back story isn't revealed right away. We start out with an older Sarah living alone in a run-down apartment, with her cat Prudence. Prudence is mostly our narrator (I wish she could have been our 100% narrator but I see how that would have been quite tricky in a few places.) Sarah found her as a soaking wet kitten in an empty lot, and say the Beatles song "Hey Prudence" to get her to come out. Sarah works as a typist in a legal office, Anise still comes over a fair amount, and while her life is small and quiet, she's fairly happy. Except that her daughter Laura is difficult with her. Something happened in their past that was brutal and scarring and changed their relationship forever. Laura does come over to visit monthly, but it's very obviously reluctant and resentful, and neither woman is able to bring themselves to discuss the hurt feelings and the past.
And then Sarah dies. And it's too late. She stated in her will very clearly that she wanted Laura to take Prudence, so the tabby cat moves to the Upper West Side with Laura and her husband Josh in their high-rise apartment, and she tries to sort out what's happened and if she's okay with this new living arrangement. And she spends a lot of time remembering Sarah, waiting for Sarah to return, and nestling in Sarah's things in the spare room.
Prudence is kind of oblivious to what's going on with her humans, except as it impacts her, but eventually she does break down Laura's barriers, and we readers also get to know more of what's happening in the human lives (the chapters occasionally switch to be Laura-, and later Sarah-focused, third-person). This story is so imbued with New York that it literally couldn't take place anywhere else. The horrible thing in the past isn't an everyday thing, not experienced by many people, but I think everyone can relate to it (and it's based in history--Ms. Cooper includes details in the endnotes about the real event.) And more likely, everyone can relate to the emotional aftermath. And the silence that can descend. A silence, a refusal to discuss an event that becomes almost A Law in a relationship, and can feel inviolable.
I don't know if I've ever read a book before that deals with the so-common situation of a person dying without having resolved everything in their relationships, and how the survivors might be able to come to resolution themselves down the road. That's a really important topic that more books should tackle. And how animals can not only provide comfort, but can even bring us emotional health. And yes, I read this mostly with my cat Turkey snuggled up against my leg.
January 14, 2020
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
I absolutely loved Gwen Cooper’s first novel, Love Saves the Day. To be honest, when I read that one of the main characters was a cat, I was expecting something cute or overly sweet, but this book is neither. It’s warm and down-to-earth and sometimes heart-wrenching, and the characters, even Prudence the cat – no, especially Prudence – are completely real and believable.
The narrative jumps back and forth between three points of view and almost thirty years of living. Prudence and Sarah tell their stories in their own words, while the sections about Laura – arguably the main character – are told in third person limited. Prudence’s voice is perfect (I’m tempted to say “purrfect”.) Cooper has captured exactly how I imagine a cat would think and talk, if they could. That’s probably not surprising, given that her first book was Homer’s Odyssey, the story of her blind cat. (I reviewed it here.)
Sarah’s narration partway through the book came as a surprise, because you realize quite quickly that Sarah is dead; how Prudence and Laura deal with her death are two of the central elements of the book. But Sarah narrates not in the present, as a ghost, but from the past, which works surprisingly well. The sections focusing on Laura are equally well-written, and the third-person viewpoint emphasizes the distance Laura kept between herself and Sarah, and then Prudence.
The secondary characters are just as believable, though not as thoroughly fleshed out as Prudence, Laura, and Sarah. I really liked Laura’s husband Josh, who is a good partner for her. Their marriage is strong, but not idyllic; they argue realistically, and his job loss and her long hours take a noticeable toll. Free-spirited rocker Anise, Sarah’s best friend, appears in person only toward the end, but she’s a significant presence in both Sarah and Prudence’s memories.
It’s not just the characters that are well-drawn. Cooper expertly evokes New York, particularly the Lower East Side, Laura’s childhood home. Reading the book, the sights, sounds, and even smells of the city came alive. They provide a vivid backdrop to the novel’s theme of grief, anger, love, and healing.
I loved the time I spent with Prudence, Sarah, and Laura. Love Saves the Day is a keeper.
FCC disclosure: I won a review copy through Goodreads.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
I absolutely loved Gwen Cooper’s first novel, Love Saves the Day. To be honest, when I read that one of the main characters was a cat, I was expecting something cute or overly sweet, but this book is neither. It’s warm and down-to-earth and sometimes heart-wrenching, and the characters, even Prudence the cat – no, especially Prudence – are completely real and believable.
The narrative jumps back and forth between three points of view and almost thirty years of living. Prudence and Sarah tell their stories in their own words, while the sections about Laura – arguably the main character – are told in third person limited. Prudence’s voice is perfect (I’m tempted to say “purrfect”.) Cooper has captured exactly how I imagine a cat would think and talk, if they could. That’s probably not surprising, given that her first book was Homer’s Odyssey, the story of her blind cat. (I reviewed it here.)
Sarah’s narration partway through the book came as a surprise, because you realize quite quickly that Sarah is dead; how Prudence and Laura deal with her death are two of the central elements of the book. But Sarah narrates not in the present, as a ghost, but from the past, which works surprisingly well. The sections focusing on Laura are equally well-written, and the third-person viewpoint emphasizes the distance Laura kept between herself and Sarah, and then Prudence.
The secondary characters are just as believable, though not as thoroughly fleshed out as Prudence, Laura, and Sarah. I really liked Laura’s husband Josh, who is a good partner for her. Their marriage is strong, but not idyllic; they argue realistically, and his job loss and her long hours take a noticeable toll. Free-spirited rocker Anise, Sarah’s best friend, appears in person only toward the end, but she’s a significant presence in both Sarah and Prudence’s memories.
It’s not just the characters that are well-drawn. Cooper expertly evokes New York, particularly the Lower East Side, Laura’s childhood home. Reading the book, the sights, sounds, and even smells of the city came alive. They provide a vivid backdrop to the novel’s theme of grief, anger, love, and healing.
I loved the time I spent with Prudence, Sarah, and Laura. Love Saves the Day is a keeper.
FCC disclosure: I won a review copy through Goodreads.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
February 9, 2013
As a cat person (and proud owner of the best cat in the world); I thoroughly enjoyed Gwen Cooper’s heartwarming sort-of-memoir of her relationship with Homer, her blind cat (“Homer’s Odyssey”). My enjoyment of Cooper’s prose overcame my worries of a fictional novel about a cat and I was thus eager to read, “Loves Saves the Day”.
“Loves Saves the Day” begins with a narration by a cat named Prudence (the point of view alternates throughout the novel of that of Prudence and of Laura -- who comes to own her mother’s cat after her passing-- and even that of her mother, Sarah). Prudence’s voice and character is surprisingly believable and will cause the reader to truly deem these as the thoughts of a feline. Instead of viewing them as foolish, cat owners will look twice at the behaviors of their own cats (at least, I did). Cooper combines her own cat observances with car behavior research to result in compelling yet simple narration and storyline. However, this would certainly strike a cat-lover more than an average reader.
Although a story about a cat, “Love Saves the Day” is much deeper than that and is a character and relationship study regarding the broken relationship between a mother and daughter. The point of view of a cat is not only a unique perspective for a novel regarding such a topic but allows for simplified understanding. Sometimes, as humans, we overanalyze, over-worry, and over-complicate things. Prudence’s voice allows Cooper to explore deep topics with an almost child-like and psychologically basic view (in a good way) resulting in a substantial (and moving) break down of the issues and plot.
Cooper’s prose is steady and she excels at creating a visually vivid piece/setting without focusing too much on them. Her character development is also strong although I, personally, enjoyed that of the cat more than Laura.
“Love Saves the Day” is not simply a cutesy, cat novel but includes profound and thought-provoking illuminations. At the same time, it is easy to read (and quick) making it equally fulfilling and saturating but not tooheavy.
The conclusion of “Loves Saves the Day” was too cheesy and “happily ever after” making it a minor disappointment and weak. However, overall, the novel was still likable and not diminished in value.
Cooper’s “Love Saves the Day” is unique, a page-turner (although not in the traditional sense) and terrific for cat lovers. Another success by Cooper!
Also a side note: I learned that lilies are extremely toxic to cats. Don't let them eat lilies!
“Loves Saves the Day” begins with a narration by a cat named Prudence (the point of view alternates throughout the novel of that of Prudence and of Laura -- who comes to own her mother’s cat after her passing-- and even that of her mother, Sarah). Prudence’s voice and character is surprisingly believable and will cause the reader to truly deem these as the thoughts of a feline. Instead of viewing them as foolish, cat owners will look twice at the behaviors of their own cats (at least, I did). Cooper combines her own cat observances with car behavior research to result in compelling yet simple narration and storyline. However, this would certainly strike a cat-lover more than an average reader.
Although a story about a cat, “Love Saves the Day” is much deeper than that and is a character and relationship study regarding the broken relationship between a mother and daughter. The point of view of a cat is not only a unique perspective for a novel regarding such a topic but allows for simplified understanding. Sometimes, as humans, we overanalyze, over-worry, and over-complicate things. Prudence’s voice allows Cooper to explore deep topics with an almost child-like and psychologically basic view (in a good way) resulting in a substantial (and moving) break down of the issues and plot.
Cooper’s prose is steady and she excels at creating a visually vivid piece/setting without focusing too much on them. Her character development is also strong although I, personally, enjoyed that of the cat more than Laura.
“Love Saves the Day” is not simply a cutesy, cat novel but includes profound and thought-provoking illuminations. At the same time, it is easy to read (and quick) making it equally fulfilling and saturating but not tooheavy.
The conclusion of “Loves Saves the Day” was too cheesy and “happily ever after” making it a minor disappointment and weak. However, overall, the novel was still likable and not diminished in value.
Cooper’s “Love Saves the Day” is unique, a page-turner (although not in the traditional sense) and terrific for cat lovers. Another success by Cooper!
Also a side note: I learned that lilies are extremely toxic to cats. Don't let them eat lilies!
January 20, 2020
One of the most charming books I have read in a long time. Three narrators tell the tale of a woman named Sarah, a stray kitten called Prudence, and the daughter, Laura who comes to understand just how much her mother gave to her- including Prudence.
A wonderful story to warm your heart on a cold winter's day.
A wonderful story to warm your heart on a cold winter's day.
April 26, 2019
I love this author. In this particular book I was happy she chose to write it from the cat's point of view. Her previous book, Homer, was a triumph for her. This book is written in her same love for the animal I love so much. We have a little fellow who lives under our house & is loved by us all. Especially my 39 year old son, who sits outside on the sidewalk with Buddy lovingly comfortable in his lap. It is a joy to witness.
November 16, 2013
Purrfect Purrpose: A review of Love Saves the Day.
Quite a bit has been written and remarked about the feline-perspective narration of Love Saves the Day. Being a cat lover, I was enchanted with the idea of a novel written from the cat's perspective. Would it be adorable? Would it be catacular? Or would it be an overly-long exercise in precocious cat-speak? One hopes going in to this kind of thing that the plot of the story can live up to the expectation of the idea of if all being written from a cat's tongue, but one also guards oneself against the very real possibility that the novel's highest achievement is its premise. Fortunately, Love Saves the Day is an accomplishment every bit as great as the idea of a story told from the perspective of a cat.
There is an old adage that everyone knows; "There's three sides to every story- yours, mine, and the truth". Love Saves the Day is an observation of abandonment, and loss, and love- from three perspectives: A mother, abandoned by a lover to raise a daughter on her own in bohemian East-Manhattan. A daughter, who feels abandoned by a mother more in love with her record shop than her daughter. And a cat, abandoned from Mother to Daughter as the course of life unfolds.
What Gwen Cooper brings to the table in her triple-perspective observation of abandonment, loss, the solidarity of neighborhoods surviving the urban-squalor of New York City, and the reconciliation of one daughter's childhood against the unsung sacrifice of one mother's life, is much much greater than the simple parlor trick of telling it from a feline narrative. It's a very real and heartfelt exploration of what life sometimes demands. And she makes it that much greater still, by fully delivering upon the promise of delight of hearing it told from Prudence, the cat.
I adored this novel. I received it through Goodreads First Reads. I recommend it, unreservedly, to all readers who love a good book, cats and mothers.
Quite a bit has been written and remarked about the feline-perspective narration of Love Saves the Day. Being a cat lover, I was enchanted with the idea of a novel written from the cat's perspective. Would it be adorable? Would it be catacular? Or would it be an overly-long exercise in precocious cat-speak? One hopes going in to this kind of thing that the plot of the story can live up to the expectation of the idea of if all being written from a cat's tongue, but one also guards oneself against the very real possibility that the novel's highest achievement is its premise. Fortunately, Love Saves the Day is an accomplishment every bit as great as the idea of a story told from the perspective of a cat.
There is an old adage that everyone knows; "There's three sides to every story- yours, mine, and the truth". Love Saves the Day is an observation of abandonment, and loss, and love- from three perspectives: A mother, abandoned by a lover to raise a daughter on her own in bohemian East-Manhattan. A daughter, who feels abandoned by a mother more in love with her record shop than her daughter. And a cat, abandoned from Mother to Daughter as the course of life unfolds.
What Gwen Cooper brings to the table in her triple-perspective observation of abandonment, loss, the solidarity of neighborhoods surviving the urban-squalor of New York City, and the reconciliation of one daughter's childhood against the unsung sacrifice of one mother's life, is much much greater than the simple parlor trick of telling it from a feline narrative. It's a very real and heartfelt exploration of what life sometimes demands. And she makes it that much greater still, by fully delivering upon the promise of delight of hearing it told from Prudence, the cat.
I adored this novel. I received it through Goodreads First Reads. I recommend it, unreservedly, to all readers who love a good book, cats and mothers.
September 4, 2013
Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper
★★★★
This is a story shown mostly from a Cat’s, Prudence, point of view with a sprinkling from a couple human points of views to help with a back story. This is from the same author who brought you the true story of her blind cat, Homer, found in Homer’s Odyssey (sadly Homer passed away a couple weeks ago). While this book is NOT a true story, unlike her last, it was still a great read. It might have been over 300 pages but I had trouble putting this book down and I just went through it like it was late getting back to the library (Ok…so it WAS late getting back to the library…but that’s not the point).
I enjoyed the point of view through Prudence. She has the innocent and truthful voice of a young child but the attitude of an adult. I couldn’t help but feel like my cats think similarly at times. I did sometimes find the simplistic thought process a bit annoying but it’s as if the author knew this and threw it human chapters just in time, breaking up the monotony and adding greatly to the story. Not only did I love Prudence but I loved the other characters. In particular I felt like I could relate to Laura in many ways. I just wanted to hug her. Luckily, there wasn’t one character in this book that wasn’t formed and found completely lovable. In the end, this book was about love, family, and friendship. It might sound like a cheesy premise but it was the kind of book I needed now. Anyone with animals in their lives (regardless of cat, dog, whatever) knows that they are more than just pets, they’re family and this book illustrates that point beautifully. I laughed at points and cried at others. A well written book and an enjoyable read.
★★★★
This is a story shown mostly from a Cat’s, Prudence, point of view with a sprinkling from a couple human points of views to help with a back story. This is from the same author who brought you the true story of her blind cat, Homer, found in Homer’s Odyssey (sadly Homer passed away a couple weeks ago). While this book is NOT a true story, unlike her last, it was still a great read. It might have been over 300 pages but I had trouble putting this book down and I just went through it like it was late getting back to the library (Ok…so it WAS late getting back to the library…but that’s not the point).
I enjoyed the point of view through Prudence. She has the innocent and truthful voice of a young child but the attitude of an adult. I couldn’t help but feel like my cats think similarly at times. I did sometimes find the simplistic thought process a bit annoying but it’s as if the author knew this and threw it human chapters just in time, breaking up the monotony and adding greatly to the story. Not only did I love Prudence but I loved the other characters. In particular I felt like I could relate to Laura in many ways. I just wanted to hug her. Luckily, there wasn’t one character in this book that wasn’t formed and found completely lovable. In the end, this book was about love, family, and friendship. It might sound like a cheesy premise but it was the kind of book I needed now. Anyone with animals in their lives (regardless of cat, dog, whatever) knows that they are more than just pets, they’re family and this book illustrates that point beautifully. I laughed at points and cried at others. A well written book and an enjoyable read.
January 24, 2013
Despite a title I actively dislike, this novel sounded like a sweet, light read that an animal lover like I am would enjoy. I disliked the beginning of the book as much as I disliked the title. This does not bode well.
The first chapter and many of the subsequent ones are written in first-person (first-cat?) by Prudence, a stray rescued by Sarah. I don't have a problem with non-human narrators, but this one was just way too cutesy for me. The “Sarah” parts are also first-person. But daughter Laura's parts are written as third-person. The mixture didn't work for me, and I liked the 3rd-person chapters best.
For most of the book, the story seemed fairly boring and I didn't connect with the characters. During the last third or so of the story, it caught my interest. I was especially interested in the stories of the old buildings, and appreciated the author's note at the end of the book. What happened in reality, the greed of humans and their willingness to act unethically, was quite amazing, and not in a good way.
I enjoyed the last part of the book and it was, in the end, a sweet read. I don't do well with things that feel overly cute or contrived so the first part didn't work for me. All in all, this was a pleasant book, and I learned something new from the author, but I didn't love it.
A copy of the book was provided to me for review.
The first chapter and many of the subsequent ones are written in first-person (first-cat?) by Prudence, a stray rescued by Sarah. I don't have a problem with non-human narrators, but this one was just way too cutesy for me. The “Sarah” parts are also first-person. But daughter Laura's parts are written as third-person. The mixture didn't work for me, and I liked the 3rd-person chapters best.
For most of the book, the story seemed fairly boring and I didn't connect with the characters. During the last third or so of the story, it caught my interest. I was especially interested in the stories of the old buildings, and appreciated the author's note at the end of the book. What happened in reality, the greed of humans and their willingness to act unethically, was quite amazing, and not in a good way.
I enjoyed the last part of the book and it was, in the end, a sweet read. I don't do well with things that feel overly cute or contrived so the first part didn't work for me. All in all, this was a pleasant book, and I learned something new from the author, but I didn't love it.
A copy of the book was provided to me for review.
September 30, 2024
Sappiamo bene cosa si prova quando si perde qualcuno di caro, ma in questo libro, la gattina Prudence, ci spiega come vive la morte improvgisa della propria mamma umana un felino.
Proprio come noi umani ci aggrappiamo ai ricordi, così i gatti cercano di non dimenticare l'odore della loro Persona Speciale.
Laura, la protagonista umana di questa storia, ha un passato difficile e una cosa accaduta farà incrinare il rapporto con sua madre, ma la gattina Prudence, tanto amata dalla mamma, saprà farle capire che in realtà l'amore tra mamma e figlia non finisce mai.
All'inizio questa storia l'ho trovata un pochino lenta perchè c'è sempre il punto di vista di Prudence che diventa ripetitivo, poi quando arrivano quello di Laura e di sua mamma Sarah, tutto cambia e prende la via del romanzo rosa.
Chi ha o ha avuto gatti, capisce al volo Prudence e anche le sue idee feline, la paura di perderla e il legame speciale che si instaura con lei, il suo essere sempre presente, anche se in maniera discreta, tutta la magia dei sentimenti che un gatto sa trasmettere.
Questa storia si legge velocemente, forse ho letto romanzi con gli animali più profondi, ma insegna a non restare aggrappati al passato,credere in un futuro migliore e che l'amore di una madre, anche se espresso a modo suo, c'è sempre.
Proprio come noi umani ci aggrappiamo ai ricordi, così i gatti cercano di non dimenticare l'odore della loro Persona Speciale.
Laura, la protagonista umana di questa storia, ha un passato difficile e una cosa accaduta farà incrinare il rapporto con sua madre, ma la gattina Prudence, tanto amata dalla mamma, saprà farle capire che in realtà l'amore tra mamma e figlia non finisce mai.
All'inizio questa storia l'ho trovata un pochino lenta perchè c'è sempre il punto di vista di Prudence che diventa ripetitivo, poi quando arrivano quello di Laura e di sua mamma Sarah, tutto cambia e prende la via del romanzo rosa.
Chi ha o ha avuto gatti, capisce al volo Prudence e anche le sue idee feline, la paura di perderla e il legame speciale che si instaura con lei, il suo essere sempre presente, anche se in maniera discreta, tutta la magia dei sentimenti che un gatto sa trasmettere.
Questa storia si legge velocemente, forse ho letto romanzi con gli animali più profondi, ma insegna a non restare aggrappati al passato,credere in un futuro migliore e che l'amore di una madre, anche se espresso a modo suo, c'è sempre.
March 19, 2013
I must admit it is a bit strange reading some of the critiqes of this bood. Granted it is not a one sided feel good story, but, neither is it the dark writing some have alluded to. Maybe it is my world view that makes this book work for me. No life is not honey and butterflies. Yes we would like that but come on people!
It may be that non cat persons will not pick this to read and that is a shame as it will be to their loss. The human condition reflects people I have known. Prudences intention and thoughts are that of a thinking kitty. Again hard put for some to take but if you have one or more furs in your home not an issue.
Give this a go and you will be pleasantly surprised. Cat lover or non!
Maybe it will entice you to read: Homer's Odyssey
Gwen CooperHomer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat
It may be that non cat persons will not pick this to read and that is a shame as it will be to their loss. The human condition reflects people I have known. Prudences intention and thoughts are that of a thinking kitty. Again hard put for some to take but if you have one or more furs in your home not an issue.
Give this a go and you will be pleasantly surprised. Cat lover or non!
Maybe it will entice you to read: Homer's Odyssey
Gwen CooperHomer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat
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