Old Mother, Little Cat: A Writer's Reflections on Her Kitten, Her Aged Mother ... and Life

In this well-written and touching memoir, Gerber, a short-story writer and novelist (The Kingdom of Brooklyn) details her mother's agonizing decline in a nursing home. Although her mind is clear, Gerber's mother is fed through a tube, rarely gets out of bed and repeatedly tells her daughter how much she longs for death. After she adopts an abandoned kitten that she calls Maxie, Gerber's depression over her mother's illness lifts. She finds caring for her new pet therapeutic and takes delight in the kitten's daily activities. Occasionally, Gerber's gushy expressions of her love for Maxie cloy, but her description of the strong emotional bonds between her mother and herself, despite the suffering they both endure, is skillfully rendered. Gerber has done an excellent job of conveying her mother's strength and humanity despite her weakened and often humiliating condition. (Nov.)