Cat of the North and Other Tales
by Shirley M. McGrath

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There’s something about cats. And love. And the Northwest Territories. In this book of short stories, Shirley M. McGrath takes you on a journey to a little known place called Prelude Lake, just north of Yellowknife. There she lived in a magical house called Dragonholm with her husband and a menagerie of cats for ten eventful years. Part memoir, part book of poetry, Cat of the North and Other Tails Tales demonstrates McGrath’s great capacity for storytelling. She invites you to immerse yourself in her life, surrounded by all of her favourite things, and does so with a deft hand at easy humour and a special insight into feline psychology. McGrath speaks to her cats and they speak right back, loud and proud or grouchy and pouty, it all depends on the mood of the day. In the story “Sandy,” McGrath has to manage personality differences between her husband, Sandy, and her cat, Ming. My first term at the University of New Brunswick went well, and I returned to Yellowknife for Christmas. There, I was met with complaints from both Sandy and Ming about each other. “He doesn’t respect me,” sniffed Ming. “He treats me like an ordinary cat.” “She’s so arrogant,” claimed Sandy. “Not the least bit affectionate.” I told them both that they would have to learn to get along together because I was going back to school. Whether the cats’ antics make you laugh or the quirky poems make you smile, there is no doubt what this book is about: love, pure and simple.

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Shirley M. McGrath’s fascination with cats started as a toddler, when she first met her godmother’s cat. Then, when she was five years old, she fell in love with her neighbour’s Siamese. Thus began her lifelong affinity for cats, with a special place in her heart for this particular breed. When she moved to the Northwest Territories in 1982, it seemed Siamese cats had a special place in their hearts for Shirley too, as they kept showing up on her doorstep! All told, more than a dozen Siamese or Siamese mixes cycled through her home over a ten-year period, litters of kittens included. Despite the comings and goings, Shirley held on to her core six—Ming, Boris, Vern, Veronica, Koko, and Yum Yum—who constantly kept her on her toes with their unique personalities and never-ending antics. Though this is Shirley’s first book, the poem “Yuri’s Lament”—included in these pages—was previously published in Cats magazine. Shirley hopes these stories will bring her readers joy, as well as show them just how entertaining, intelligent, and affectionate cats can be. She is now retired and lives in Yellowknife with her cats Carrot (a ginger tabby) and Patricia (guess what kind of cat she is?).

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Contributors

Author

Shirley M. McGrath

Illustrator

Afton Jane

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Other eBook Editions

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