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I had a copy of The Fire Cat as a child, and adored it. I was a grown adult before I ever realized there were other books about the cats of old New York. Probably it was the first New York Review edition of Jenny and the Cat Club: A Collection of Favorite Stories about Jenny Linsky (New York Review Children's Collection) by unknown. The various books have appealed to me greatly. But this one, this one will be my favorite going forward.

It's interesting that Averill published this book so late. I suspect she wrote this prequel almost 30 years after Jenny based on nothing but the feel of it. The story starts with two young tramps arriving at a restaurant widely known for handouts to cats. That meal, so tactfully and kindly given, and the warm welcome given by Patchy Pete to Sinbad and the Duke combine to suggest to me that this was written by the sadder-but-wiser girl. Someone far enough removed from the Depression distill a sweetness from that misery.

It's a lovely book about longing for a home of one's own and about getting enough distance from grief to try belonging again. It's a brave story as well as a kind one. And although Averill is quite good at presenting her cast as cats-not-humans (even Sinbad and the Duke who are so close they speak with one voice), they are also people who become better under a regime of care. I am so pleased that Sinbad and the Duke have had one another to rely on, and that when given a chance, they become reliable to others.

Truly, a lovely book, especially for one that has so much fighting.

Personal copy