Book 9: DEWEY: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

I have just one excuse for being so far behind in the book challenge: my bathroom is worse than Trainspotting right now. The pictures below are in some ways better-- we've made progress, but I have lost my ever lovin' mind. The new tub is in, the plumbing is done for the tub and shower. We still need to hang the walls, tile, paint, install the sink and get and install a new toilet. The highlight of this was The Day The Drains Stopped Draining. It started when the kitchen sink backed up. My husband tried to plunge past it and all the fittings gave up the ghost. This after we'd just refitted all the pipes under the kitchen sink. Then we heard ominous gurglings when we flushed the weird toilet in the basement. Next, the drain by the washing machine backed up. See, when you take a toilet off the floor, there is a big stack drain and sewer gasses can come up it. Plumbers normally stick something over or in it to keep that nasty shit out. Normally, though, if they use a rag, they nail it to the floor so it doesn't get sucked into the stack when another toilet flushes. There was crying, swearing, screaming, slamming shit, breaking of our existing drain snake, purchasing of a bigger drain snake, and ultimately, rental of a professional drain auger. I wearily report that once again, all drains lead to the ocean.

This book, Dewey, was endearing, but you know how animal books nearly always end, right? In grade school, I was sent from the library when, at the end of Sounder, I began crying uncontrollably. I've gotten a grip since then. Aside from the story of a cat, this is also a story about a small, midwestern town. In the 2nd half of the 20th century, those towns had to change or die. Having driven through and to some in Nebraska that died, it is good to read of one that changed. There were times though, when I just didn't want to pick it up, when it was slow, when it was schmaltzy, when even I didn't want to hear another cat story.

On the scale of 'OMG A++ WOULD READ AGAIN!!!1!' to 'Made me long for the sweet embrace of Jesus or the cold, empty grave' I give Dewey a 'meh'.