PREVIEW

First the spasms, then the ejection into the old doghouse, a place of biting cold, walls and roof full of chinks admitting icy vapors on the back of a gusting wind. Wet and straggly, a rudimentary cat, eyes closed, you wriggle from Mama’s womb. Welcome to the planet, Sisypuss! Since you’re in no position to see for yourself what’s going on, I’m telling your story. In ten days you’ll open your eyes, you’ll take over.

Separated and quivering, you’re on a wood plank smelling of dog, Mama’s tongue licking you clean, worming into your large ears, giving the once over to your shadow-striped charcoal body, long legs and big paws, impressive tail. All in all, a fine specimen, Sisypuss, born to a mama who’s cleaned up many a kitten before you. For Mama’s no longer young. She’s balded in spots by scars of homelessness, wears the tattered fur of a cat who’s been around the block, lived through rough times. Considering her shape, those jutting ribs, no wonder the icy teat you somehow find when she’s finished with you produces only an unsatisfying trickle.

Still, satisfied or no, with your first watery swallow comes awareness. You’re in life. You’re different from what you were minutes ago. Suckling, your paws begin to pump Mama’s belly bloated with kittens to come; your claws dig into her hard as you try to increase the trickle of what you need to survive, speed it up; and with each swallow your impression of existence solidifies. You’ll make it. You’re strapped to the wheel of life now, destined to roll through calamities and joys (the former outweighing the latter) until you fall off. Not to worry: Given a constitution able to withstand what life slings at it, you’ll do fine. In your shadow-striped suit you’ll stand tall on long legs, ears perked for hints of danger, black nose like a painted-on moustache sniffing for rats, sweeping whiskers testing tight spots, grand tail mainly erect.

In view of your debonair appearance and jaunty attitude, Mama calls you Fairbanks after an old movie star she saw on TV during a brief period when she had a home. She called it right. Rarely will you kneel to despair in adversity. Still, times will come—oh, they’ll come—when bad circumstances will defeat all your resourcefulness, all your stratagems and courage, and survival will depend on human intervention.

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REVIEWS

THIS ONE WILL STAY WILL STAY WITH YOU A LONG, LONG TIME!

By Don Blankenship

This is a very difficult review to write. 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 is just what the title would indicate; a story of a stray and unwanted cat. Now folks, be warned. This is not one of those "kitty is born, wonders around having adventures, has some hardships, has some fun, and is finally adopted by a loving little girl and lives happily ever after" kind of book; far, far from it! First though, a brief look at the story line. I have to be careful here as I do not want any spoilers.

Sisypuss is born to a stray mother cat, a mother of many litters who is on the edge of death. The birth takes place in a cold, filthy unused dog house. The entire story is told through the eyes of our leading character, Sisypuss. It is a cat's eye view of the world, a stray cat, an unwanted cat. Sisypuss is by nature, an optimistic cat, and is 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 over burdened animal shelter, to a horrible compound where animals are kept before being sold to "research" facilities, into the actual facility (yes, these places do exist, I have had dealings with them), to the open fields, woods and city streets. This is a grim tale indeed.

Ms. Patricia Halloff is an excellent writer. There is absolutely no doubt 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 rather strong statement about animal treatment in this country. Actually, "strong" might not be a strong enough word, come to think of it. She has been most effective in this effort. She has used some rather strong street language in this work, but certainly has not used it gratuitously, and she has used it quite effectively. The author also seems to have 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 that 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. I know for myself, one of the first characteristics in any person I meet is how they treat animals and what their attitude is toward them. Now me, being me, if the people I meet do not hit my particular, personal standard, they sort of end up off my "list" of people I have anything to do with what-so-ever. Hey, this is just me though. This work, for me, reinforces my belief that this is a good policy on my part.

This is not a pleasant "feel good" read my any means. I can almost promise you that 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. Now sometimes books that make us feel uneasy are the best kind of books. They cause us to think. They can cause us to take action. 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. When you read this book, it is going to stick with you for a long, long time...I promise! There are times when it simply 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 also be noted that proceeds from this book are being given to organizations fighting animal abuse.

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Sisypuss: Comments on the book

by Rebecca Winters

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.

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

ONE OF THE FIVE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ THIS YEAR

By Shannon Yarbrough

Sisypuss: Memoirs of a Vagabond Cat

Interesting name for a book, no?

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.

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 yremind ou 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!

ABOUT PATRICIA

Patricia Halloff's stories have appeared in respected literary journals such as the New England Review, The Cream City Review, New Letters, and Witness, and in various anthologies. She is also the author of the novels Roadblocks to Nirvana and Memorial Candle.

Work as a volunteer lobbyist for the major animal rights organizations Friends of Animals and The Society for Animal Rights has given her insider knowledge of the problems facing homeless animals which in turn inspired her to write Sisypuss.

Sisypuss, the memoirist of her novel, is Everycat who roams homeless on city streets and country roads, but he is also his unique unconquerable self.

Patricia has lived with and loved multiple cats who have taught her what she knows about cat psychology. She lives with her husband John in Freehold, NJ.