Mama-Cat, who adopted us, began narrating her tale to me, in her own special voice. She tells us that if there is any impression she would wish her autobiography to engender, it would be that there are deep dimensions of love which resonate eternally- bonds of connectedness that even death cannot destroy.
The Autobiography of a Granada Cat: As told to Harley White "They call me Mama-cat and I answer to it, so I suppose that is my name, though it wasn't always. I was born in Andalusia, southern Spain, in Granada, an area that is hot in summer and cold in winter." So begins the picaresque, picturesque tale, true in the telling by its feline protagonist. Her lodging had been the street, along with all its dangers and discomforts, in magical Granada, whose charms were not entirely lost on this resourceful feline, even when in the throes of her own troubles. She describes the old city on the hill, with its labyrinth of narrow winding lanes, often sinister in their twists and turns, the Albaicin's spectacular vistas and crumbling old-style Arabic abodes, full of tourists and passers-by, thieves and outcasts, bohemians, donkeys, dogs, etc.
Many original photos and illustrations accompany the text, putting the reader into the picture as the yarn unfolds. Images include many of the most outstanding monuments and features of the city of Granada.
A worldly-wise versatile feline, Mama-cat is part philosopher and quite well-versed culturally besides, especially where cats are concerned. She enjoys quoting notables, such as...
"'Do you see that kitten chasing so prettily her own tail? If you look with her eyes, you might see her surrounded with hundreds of figures performing complex dramas, with tragic and comic issues, long conversations, many characters, many ups and downs of fate.' So said Ralph Waldo Emerson."
Apropos of Emerson's statement, Mama-cat does indeed render her colorful world visible, depicting its grandeur and pettiness, portraying its various and sundry inhabitants, bringing its sounds and sensations to vivid life. We are Mama-cat. We suffer her sadness. Feel her fears and frustrations. Delight in her joys. And yet there is more here than meets the eye.
"It is worth mentioning as well that the supreme artistic giant, Leonardo da Vinci, affirmed, 'The smallest feline is a masterpiece.' And anyone who still doubts our well-deserved world-renown has only to think of the ancient Egyptian civilization and its remaining monuments, the highlight of which is unarguably the sphinx. Suffice it to say that the feline's position of mythical stature, as king (or queen) of beasts, and as the figurative symbol of the pinnacle of culture persists unchallenged."
And again...
"Mark Twain asserted unequivocally, 'If a man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve the man but deteriorate the cat.'- no comment from me."
the great affection she and the lady hold for one another rises above all and dissolves the distinctions of their species. For she also realizes herself as part of a whole web of realities of cause and effect... something far greater than the mere creature she was born as in the form of a cat.
Yet she is also humble regarding the caprices of her fate and sometimes dismayed or confounded by the inconsistencies of humanity...
And, ultimately, the cycle continues... for, in the end, "... the waves of life and death roll on, as they have for thousands of years and shall for thousands more ..."
A "Must Read" for all cat and great literature lovers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born in L.A. I double-majored in English and Psychology. I lived in beautiful Big Sur, where I met and married my husband in a redwood cathedral. Then we moved to Granada, Spain, where we enjoy living a simple life.
I love writing poems, songs, literary works... I love classical music, playing the flute... all animals, especially cats... and much, much more...
