Review: The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Power of Meow & A Contest

If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I do very few book reviews and that I'm a huge fan of David Michie's The Dalai Lama's Cat books. Newly released is the third book in the series, The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Power of Meow. 

We return to the Dalai Lama's Monastery in the Himalayas, and pick up with the same cast of characters, led by the narrator, The Dalai Lama's Cat, otherwise known as HHC (His Holiness' Cat), although she is sometimes called by other names including Rinpoche. The Dalai Lama calls her his Little Snow Lion. We return to all of the familiar places, including the Himalaya Book Cafe where she is a regular and has her own special place. This time around a new public health inspector wants to have HHC banned from the Cafe. The nerve!  

It's truly hard to stop turning pages in each of the books and this is no exception. We are once again drawn into the world surrounding The Dalai Lama as seen through the eyes and experiences of his exquisite cat. A Himalayan, of course.

Author David Michie and Princess Wussik, his muse for the book

While we learn more about each of the characters we've come to know so well, this book offers something more. Through HHC we learn how to meditate. Meditation has been medically proven to lower blood pressure, reduce stress. You don't have to be a Buddhist to practice mindful meditation.  As someone who can't seem to turn her mind off and thought she'd never be able to meditate, it was comforting to discover the ways in which to clear one's mind. Yes, you might say that a little cat taught me. Suddenly, the books I'd read on the topic seemed irrelevant. This book made it seem so much easier and more logical. A nice bonus for the reader.

Michie is definitely a pet lover whose was raised with a Siamese cat, purchased by his parents as a present for his older brother when David was born to avoid sibling rivalry. He has had animals of all kinds. That affinity for animals shines through in his writing.

I highly recommend The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Power of Meow. It could be read alone but you will truly enjoy the full experience if you read The Dalai Lama's Cat, and The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Art of Purring first. 

I'm happy to say that The Dalai Lama's Cat has been optioned for a movie. Will there be a fourth book? Only time will tell. Personally, I'll be meditating about it.

Author David Michie

The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Power of Meow by David Michie is published by Hay House for $15.99 wherever books are sold.

I have a surprise for you. Hay House will send a copy of the The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Power of Meow to one lucky winner. You must be a resident of the U.S. To enter, just leave a message.  You have until this Friday at noon EDT when the winner will be drawn and notified. The winner will be named in a subsequent blog post.

NOTE: I received no compensation for this review, only a review copy of the book. I can assure you that I've read every word and the opinions expressed in this review are mine.

"The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Art of Purring," by David Michie. Book Review and Contest!

When I read The Dalai Lama's Cat, a novel by David Michie, I was beyond pleasantly surprised. I was moved.  I not only reviewed it here but told friends that they had to read the book. Why is this such a big deal?  Because I'm not a fan of books written from the animal's perspective since so few writers can really pull it off. it usually ends up treacly or "cutesy."  But in David Michie's hands it was something else, something wonderful. And then I heard that he was following it up with a sequel. Would it live up to its predecessor?  Would it stand on its own?  I finally got my hands on a copy of Michie's sequel.

The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Art of Purring picks up pretty much where The Dalai Lama's Cat left off and yet you can read it as a stand-alone book, although I don't recommend it. For the real experience, read both books in order to better appreciate all of the characters, including the cat who goes by many names, depending upon who is interacting with her. Mainly she's known as HHC for His Holyness's Cat.  

In this delightful sequel, the Dalai Lama is leaving for a teaching tour in the U.S. for several weeks and he leaves his cat with a assignment: discover the true cause of happiness.  This is no small feat and the delightful feline takes to it with a seriousness and aplomb worthy of her position.  

The cat is the observer of life in McLeod Ganj and her life becomes far more interesting as a result of her quest to find the answer to His Holyness's assignment. A race through the streets as she's chased by two boisterous dogs,encounters with all manner of people, especially during her daily visits to the Himalaya Book Store Cafe where she observes the comings and goings of the people who work there as well as the customers.  The Yoga Class, science Buddhism, and self-discovery all play into the novel which is written with a keen eye to observation that is, at times, almost lyrical.

Author David Michie

I highly recommend this book!  And wonder if Michie has planned another book starring this wonderfully insightful creature. There are messages here for each of us. And they're explored with wisdom and respect. 

And now, dear readers, I have a wonderful contest for you!  Thanks to the publisher, Hay House, I have two copies of the book to give away.  Just leave a message on this post to enter the contest!  The winners will be announced mid-week!

If you are anxious and can't await to read it, you can purchase a copy here:

http://tinyurl.com/kosjybl

Published by Hay House, The Dalai Lama's Cat and The Art of Purring is a paperback book, 208 pages.

NOTE:  Other than a review copy and two copies of the book to give away in a contest, I have received no compensation for this review. The review and all views expressed in it is completely mine.