Kringle with The Book of Lua The Book of Lua tells the inspiring story of a partially paralyzed cat with a fulfilling life on Gabriola Island, B.C. Lua suffered an early crushing accident which damaged nerves of her lower spinal cord. She lost the ability to walk or empty her bladder, but was able to regain enough mobility to climb stairs and trees. Lua fought many infections after being rescued by Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association, who began her long treatment process. Veterinary treatments were supplemented by physical therapy, water therapy, laser therapy, and acupuncture. Many long road trips and ferry rides from her new home on Gabriola Island were involved. A custom wheelchair was attempted but Lua found it uncomfortable and preferred moving on her own. The story is written in Lua’s voice and she is listed as an author, along with her adoptive mother, Dania Sheldon. If you order directly from the author, Dania will inscribe it with Lua’s “pawtograph,” a life-sized stamp created from a photo of Lua’s footprints in the snow. It was fascinating to learn how Lua starts most days on the back deck. “I’ll sit for a while, sniffing the air and gauging how wet I might get if I go any further. My fur is very long, so once it gets wet, it takes ages to dry.” If it isn’t raining or too cold, Lua bumps down the stairs to spend the day in the fenced yard, where she often remains until dusk. She enjoys patrolling the Mouse Garden and Hummingbird Garden and interacting with woodland visitors. The story takes on a fanciful, mysterious aspect in the chapter, “Dragons.” Two brown bats advise her on how to interact with them. They explain that how dragons behave “usually depends on how they’re treated.” Lua befriends a dragon who recounts having been raised by a mother cat after being orphaned. Documentary evidence of dragon life is provided in photos of colourful dragons sunning themselves in the greenery. Lua cautions that there are “still a lot of unhappy, angry, aggressive dragons out there, so we have to remain vigilant. I wish this weren’t the case. But the truth is that I have to do Dragon Patrol pretty much every day, so that the birds and bats and I can keep track of what dragons are nearby. I’d like them all to become friends, but you can’t make someone do that. Friendship is something that only happens by choice.” And so Lua offers some of her delightful wisdom. The book is beautifully presented with many high quality colour photographs. It is identified as children’s fiction, but is a lovely biographical account that may appeal to any cat lover. - Irene Plett P.S. Congratulations to The Book of Lua for being a finalist in two categories of the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, for Children's/Juvenile Fiction and Inspirational Fiction. Details: Lua and Dania Sheldon, The Book of Lua: Stories and Wisdom From a Little Cat With Mobility Challenges (2017, Kittenhaus Press, ISBN 9780995903906, hardcover, 103 pages, approx. 8.5” or 21 cm square). Contact the author at thebookofluaATgmail.com (change "AT" to "@" or click on the link). Topics: cats, cats with paralysis, mobility challenges, friendship, cat health, veterinary treatments, holistic therapies for animals, Gabriola Island, Dania Sheldon, Lua Surrey Public Library now has The Book of Lua!
2 Comments
Doug Thorslev
2/13/2018 11:49:08 pm
'The Book of Lua' is a delightful adventure, narrated by the brave and beautiful 'princess' Lua herself. It's sweet and humorous and inspirational - for children and kids-at-heart.
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2/14/2018 11:56:35 am
Too true! "Brave and beautiful" brings to mind the wonderful video of Lua in her early days: https://youtu.be/E_jn_TE9Hfo.
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