Letters to Jennifer from Maudie and Oliver by Sharon Gray

by Sharon Gray
(Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

Letters to Jennifer From Maudie and Oliver by Sharon Gray has won an award! 2013 AAA Book Festival Winners


This is a book review of Letters to Jennifer From Maudie and Oliver. I don't know who the reviewer is, however, I believe it has great remarks about the book. The book is available from the publisher, Driver Works, Ink.

I know that I am blowing my own horn, but you may be interested in the book. There is a Facebook connection, Sharon Gray or Letters to Jennifer From Maudie and Oliver.

Here it is:

“Letters to Jennifer from Maudie and Oliver”
by Sharon Gray
Published by DriverWorks Ink
Review by Chris Ewing-Weisz

"When a dear friend who lives far away has cancer, what can you do?
If you’re a pair of enterprising Siamese cats in Winnipeg, you write frequent, short, funny letters, full of news of your feline world, and include brief expressions of your love and care.
Jennifer is a real person, and Maudie and Oliver are real cats. The letters are real, too, from the pen of Maudie and Oliver’s “Live-In Person,” Sharon Gray.

Written over the course of Jennifer’s illness, the letters offer a cat’s-eye view of the world that is frequently hilarious, sometimes poignant, and always engaging.

Anyone who has lived with cats will admire the closely observed feline behaviour and distinct individual characters of Maudie and Oliver.

Anyone who has been through a personal disaster will appreciate the light touch and frequent but understated expressions of care. And anyone who’s ever felt helpless in the face of someone else’s suffering will find ample inspiration in this delightful work. Gray’s keen eye, good heart, and smart pen are well complemented by Erika Folnovic’s charming drawings.

This is a book to lift the spirits. Moreover, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to cancer programs. So whether you buy it for inspiration, for charity, or just for fun, for yourself or as a gift, don’t miss Letters to Jennifer."

Saskatchewan Publishers Group Book Reviews
October, 2011

The book can be purchased from Chapters, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Winnipeg, and Driver Works Ink.

Below is a letter (not in this book, but for the next one). The letter gives an idea of what the book is about. Maudie is the house beauty (with attitude) and Oliver is her brother, an Oriental gentleman. LIP is me, "Live-In Person".

CHRISTMAS BAKING

"Dear Auntie Jennifer:

There is snow on the ground and it is cold.
This is Maudie speaking.
With snow and cold around this is an indication that Christmas Baking is about to occur.

On baking days, we have to plan our activities very carefully. Even then, it does not always work out.

First, we must manipulate LIP to give us a full breakfast, with drinks, before she starts moving the pots, pans, spoons, flour and sugar and sugar-related things into the kitchen arena. And, we must eat all of our breakfast. We have no idea when our next meal will be.

Why, you may ask?

Because LIP will drop spoons, bits of raw dough, flour and sugar things into our bowls and around our feeding area. Big, big mess before it is all over.

Last year some little red and green things fell on me. Oliver tried to lick them off but the dye changed the colour of my beautiful fur. I had green and red spots all over! Imagine! LIP had to get a damp cloth to wash me off and a towel to dry me up.

Little silver balls were spilled onto the kitchen floor. I got one stuck in my right front paw. I almost ruined my nails trying to get that out.

Oliver had flour dropped all over his back. I tried to clean that off for him but it tasted awful. LIP had to stop the baking process again to clean him up.

There was raw cookie dough in our water dish. When we wanted a drink, we had to get LIP to give us a drink from the bathroom sink tap.

And through all of this, LIP sings Christmas carols, off key.

We are not looking forward to this.

We hope you are feeling better and are warm and comfortable.

Love,

Maudie"