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    Love Saves the Day
    Love Saves the Day
    Love Saves the Day
    Audiobook11 hours

    Love Saves the Day

    Written by Gwen Cooper

    Narrated by Cris Dukehart

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    When
    five-week-old Prudence, a brown tabby, meets a woman named Sarah in a deserted
    construction site on Manhattan's Lower East Side, she knows she's found
    the human she was meant to adopt. For three years their lives are filled
    with laughter, tuna, catnaps, music, and the unchanging routines
    Prudence craves. Then one day Sarah doesn't come home. From Prudence's
    perch on the windowsill she sees Laura, the daughter who hardly ever
    comes to visit Sarah, arrive with her new husband. They're carrying
    boxes. Before they even get to the front door, Prudence realizes that
    her life has changed forever.Suddenly Prudence finds herself
    living in a strange apartment with humans she barely knows. It could
    take years to train them in the feline courtesies and customs (for
    example, a cat should always be fed before the humans, and
    at the same exact time every day) that Sarah understood so well.
    Prudence clings to the hope that Sarah will come back for her, while
    Laura, a rising young corporate attorney, tries to push away memories of
    her mother and the tumultuous childhood spent in her mother's dusty
    downtown record store. But the secret joys, past hurts, and
    life-changing moments that make every mother-daughter relationship
    special will come to the surface. With Prudence's help, Laura will learn
    that the past, like a mother's love, never dies.Poignant, insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny, Love Saves the Day is
    a story of hope, healing, and how the love of an animal can make all of
    us better humans. It's the story of a mother and daughter divided by
    the turmoil of bohemian New York, and the opinionated, irrepressible
    feline who will become the bridge between them. It's a novel for anyone
    who's ever lost a loved one, wondered what their cat was really
    thinking, or fallen asleep with a purring feline nestled in their arms.
    Prudence, a cat like no other, is sure to steal your heart.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJan 28, 2013
    ISBN9781452681498
    Author

    Gwen Cooper

    Gwen Cooper is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat; Homer: The Ninth Life of a Blind Wonder Cat; My Life in a Cat House; and Spray Anything: More True Tales of Homer and the Gang, as well as the novel Love Saves the Day (narrated from a rescue cat's perspective) and PAWSOME! Head Bonks, Raspy Tongues, and 101 Reasons Why Cats Make Us So, So Happy--among numerous other titles. Gwen's work has been published in more than two-dozen languages, and she is a frequent speaker at shelter fundraisers across the U.S. and Europe.Gwen lives in New Jersey with her husband, Laurence. She also lives with her two perfect cats--Clayton "the Tripod" and his litter-mate, Fanny--who aren't impressed with any of it.

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    Reviews for Love Saves the Day

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Prudence is a five-week-old kitten when she meets Sarah for the first time. She knew it as soon as they met: Sarah was to be here One Special Human forever and goes home with her. After three wonderful years the worst thing happens. Sarah doesn't come home one day. The next thing Prudence knows is all their things is in boxes and she's on her way to live with Sarah's estranged daughter, Laura. Suddenly finding herself in a new apartment with humans she barely knows Prudence thinks it could take years to get them properly trained. If only her Sarah would come back and take her home again so life can return to normal.Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper is a story of hope and how the love of an animal can make us better humans. It's about how a mother and daughter became divided when their own lives were turned upside down on the day their own apartment was demolished and the feline who eventually unites them both. The story is told primarily from two points of view, Laura and Prudence, and also with two chapters from Sarah's perspective. The Prudence chapters are very well written. She has such a simple understanding of the world and her logic is explained beautifully. It is both heart breaking and joyful to read. Sarah's chapters are to fill in the backgrounds on Laura childhood and how she met Prudence, as well as insight into what it was like living on the Lower East Side. This contrasts nicely with present day Laura and how she's changed based on those events.It's a beautiful story, one that pulls at the heart strings.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I especially liked the chapters written from the cat's point of view - very clever. Some scenes were very touching and some just didn't seem very realistic and the chapters were sort of disconnected. The demolition of the apartment building was very disturbing - the more so since based on an actual event.
    • 4/5
      This is an enchanting tale told from a cat's point of view about the love between pet and human, a tragedy that seperates the two, and the cat's relationship with her former owner's daughter as it progresses and becomes special as well. The story is at times, hilariously funny and will also bring you to tears. A very worthwhile read, especially for cat lovers, who will recognize just how amazingly the author has captured the essence of the cat.
    • 3/5
      Despite a title I actively dislike, this novel sounded like a sweet, light read that an animal lover like I am would enjoy. I disliked the beginning of the book as much as I disliked the title. This does not bode well.The first chapter and many of the subsequent ones are written in first-person (first-cat?) by Prudence, a stray rescued by Sarah. I don't have a problem with non-human narrators, but this one was just way too cutesy for me. The “Sarah” parts are also first-person. But daughter Laura's parts are written as third-person. The mixture didn't work for me, and I liked the 3rd-person chapters best.For most of the book, the story seemed fairly boring and I didn't connect with the characters. During the last third or so of the story, it caught my interest. I was especially interested in the stories of the old buildings, and appreciated the author's note at the end of the book. What happened in reality, the greed of humans and their willingness to act unethically, was quite amazing, and not in a good way.I enjoyed the last part of the book and it was, in the end, a sweet read. I don't do well with things that feel overly cute or contrived so the first part didn't work for me. All in all, this was a pleasant book, and I learned something new from the author, but I didn't love it.A copy of the book was provided to me for review.
    • 4/5
      Animals are great companions and this book is no different in showing that. Prudence, the cat, lives with her owner, Sarah, in an apartment. Sarah treats Prudence with the utmost respect. One day, Sarah doesn't come home and Prudence is left to fend for herself for awhile. She ends up being taken in by Sarah's daughter and her husband. They are not really cat people but learn that a cat has quite the personality and can usually make tough situations better in the long run.
    • 4/5
      From the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Homer’s Odyssey comes a tender, joyful, utterly unforgettable novel, primarily told through the eyes of the most observant member of any human family: the cat. I highly enjoyed her first book and this one is wonderful too. I read a lot of books about animals and the people who love them. If you are an animal lover like me give this book a try.
    • 5/5
      Absolutely loved the book. As a owner of 2 elderly cats it sure has told me a lot about the thinking behind those staring eyes. The parts about Laura, the lawyer working in a big NYC law firm, are absolutely right, as we had a family member go through all of it! So the anonymous female lawyer sources that provided info to the author know exactly what they are talking about. Can't wait to read more books by the author!
    • 4/5
      This book grew on me and by the time I got to the end I was a real fan. Prudence is a cat who introduces us to the human she adopted,Sarah. The story is told mostly through Prudences eyes but does branch out to Sarah and Laura's (Sarah's daughter) points of view occasionally. Prudence is very confused when one day Sarah does not return to the apartment and Laura shows up a few days later with boxes and a cat carrier. She is even more confused when Laura packs her into the carrier and moves her to Laura's house. The rest of the story revolves around the relationship between Sarah and Laura. Prudence's observations as a cat regarding this is sweet, funny and true. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, especially cat lovers. Highly recommended.
    • 1/5
      I really liked the story - so interesting to hear about the Lower East Side of NYC during the 70's & 80's. Sarah's life was very interesting and I loved those parts of the book. If that more of the novel had been centered around that, I would have loved it. Laura's story was poorly written and boring. And, I am a die hard cat lover - I have had at least one cat my entire life. But, I really hated that the book was primarily narrated by the cat. I even like the cat, but the narration was too cutesy and silly. "Racing with the Rain" this was not. I was absolutely annoyed by all the parenthesis and explanations about the cat's perspective. Sorry the great story of Sarah was buried in all that fluff. One disclaimer for me is that "Library Thing" predicted that it was unlikely that I would like this book - it was right and maybe I'm just not the audience.
    • 4/5
      Don’t be fooled by the cutesy cover on this book. This isn’t one of those silly books that don’t have a lot of depth. There is so much more to this story that is told partly from a cat’s point of view. I was a little worried about the narration being done by a cat because, as much as I loved “The Art of Racing in the Rain” told by a dog, I thought it would just be overdone. But, I thought the author did a great job of capturing the persona of a cat. I have a cat and I could imagine her thinking many of things the cat in this story did.This book is about a mother-daughter relationship, grieving and healing. There is a lot of information about the music scene in New York during the 70’s, and the working class people who lived in many of the neighborhoods. One of the chapters was a heartbreaking retelling of an actual event where tenants were put out of their condemned building without a chance to take anything with them, and forced to watch as a wrecking ball demolished everything they had.I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read books about relationships and animals. I think it would also appeal to anyone who has an interest in the beginnings of disco or punk music. I am very pleased that I was awarded an advanced preview copy of this book from Library Thing.
    • 3/5
      When I saw the title of this book and found it was narrated by a cat I really wondered why I checked it! It sounds like a romance. Thankfully it is not. It is a rather charming little book that was a surprisingly pleasant read.
    • 3/5
      This book turned out not to be at all what I thought when I started it and found a cat as narrator. All I can say is--have Kleenex ready!
    • 4/5
      I received “Love Saved the Day” by Gwen Cooper as an Early Reviewer. I was so excited to have won it as I previously won, read and LOVED “Homer’s Odyssey” by this same author. This is a lovely story told from the POV of Prudence, a cat, and her various human “roommates”. The chapters I enjoyed the most were from Prudence’s POV. I felt like it gave me a lot of insight into my own cats as Prudence explained her behavior and reaction to various situations. Ms. Cooper clearly did her research! The catalyst of the story was how Prudence left Sarah and ended up living with Laura and Josh, but the Also, the stories that followed were equally compelling: the struggle of a difficult Mother/Daughter relationship, the challenges of the first year of marriage, fighting for something you believe in and finding who you are and what you want. I recommend this book to cat lovers, music lovers, anyone who wants a good laugh or a good cry.
    • 5/5
      This is an emotional novel of the human/animal bond. It is a very special story of this complex relationship, and very moving in its completeness of both sides.Told by Prudence, the brown tabby, we are allowed to see life through the eyes of the cat. She tells of how she chose her human (Sarah), and their precious time together in eclectic New York City.When one day, her human doesn’t come home, Prudence’s life is forever altered. She finds herself now living with the daughter of her human (Laura), and her family. They do not understand the things that Sarah did; they do not understand Prudence.Prudence struggles to adjust to life without Sarah, her human. However, a successful lawyer, Laura struggles with the loss of Sarah, her “Bohemian” mother. The results are deep, meaningful, and insightful for both Prudence and Laura.This is a very special novel, written by a special person. Gwen Cooper is the author of Homer’s Odyssey, the memoir of her life with a special blind cat. I recommend Gwen Cooper and both of these beautiful books.
    • 4/5
      Well, Love Saves the Day for the main characters, but not for the real life pets mentioned.Prudence POV alternates with that of her two humans, Sarah and her daughter, Laura.While Prudence moves the plot along, the humans add background depth and tons of information about underground music (though, oddly, no jazz or creative music) in 1970s New York City.As well, the disastrous anti-tenant movement of building developers is illuminated.
    • 4/5
      sweet book and perfect for cat lovers. The chapters about the human are almost a nuisance. The story told from the view of the cats make you think what yoru cat thinks of you and what kind of emotion they and how much they understand about human lives. I teared up a few times during this story. After I read the book, I gave my cats a very long hug and told them, that I love them.
    • 3/5
      Mostly a good, enjoyable book but many of the Prudence sections display Cooper trying too hard, explaining too much. Less would be more in these sections. Sarah and Josh are wonderful characters; I especially enjoy the way Josh adapts to his new reality after months of frustration. Laura needs some work, but some of Cooper's best writing is displayed in Laura remembering her unusual childhood. I believe Cooper is putting too much emphasis on Laura's "chip on her shoulders" attitude based on one astoundingly dreadful day when most of her life was unique and filled with love. Anise is another outstanding character - would love to see more from her. Josh's family's characterizations are stale, flat and need more development. Also, the pace and flow of the novel is uneven and jumpy. Perhaps an additional subplot would help.
    • 4/5
      Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper

      ★★★★

      This is a story shown mostly from a Cat’s, Prudence, point of view with a sprinkling from a couple human points of views to help with a back story. This is from the same author who brought you the true story of her blind cat, Homer, found in Homer’s Odyssey (sadly Homer passed away a couple weeks ago). While this book is NOT a true story, unlike her last, it was still a great read. It might have been over 300 pages but I had trouble putting this book down and I just went through it like it was late getting back to the library (Ok…so it WAS late getting back to the library…but that’s not the point).

      I enjoyed the point of view through Prudence. She has the innocent and truthful voice of a young child but the attitude of an adult. I couldn’t help but feel like my cats think similarly at times. I did sometimes find the simplistic thought process a bit annoying but it’s as if the author knew this and threw it human chapters just in time, breaking up the monotony and adding greatly to the story. Not only did I love Prudence but I loved the other characters. In particular I felt like I could relate to Laura in many ways. I just wanted to hug her. Luckily, there wasn’t one character in this book that wasn’t formed and found completely lovable. In the end, this book was about love, family, and friendship. It might sound like a cheesy premise but it was the kind of book I needed now. Anyone with animals in their lives (regardless of cat, dog, whatever) knows that they are more than just pets, they’re family and this book illustrates that point beautifully. I laughed at points and cried at others. A well written book and an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      These characters are good people full of misunderstandings that cause great emotional pain. Then along comes an abandoned kitty looking for a warm home, a bowl of food and maybe a little love to get through the day. It takes a few pages to get the hang of a thinking kitty and perhaps a bit too long to get to the heart of the story. Loosely based on an actual event this is a warm hearted read for a winter afternoon or the beach when summer comes. Not sure the appeal for people who don’t know and love kitties. January 2013
    • 4/5
      Gwen Cooper, author of the memoir "Homer's Odyssey", has authored a heart-warming story in "Love Saves the Day." Told mostly from the perspective of a feline narrator, this novel is a different take on the ordinary angst ridden mother-daughter tale. It took me a while to be able to flow with Prudence's voice. However, as the first few chapters progressed I was able to capture the author's feline mindset and my enjoyment increased. The switches in narration were well-done and kept me guessing on whose portion of the story would unfold next.I ended up liking this book quite a lot -- had a few tears towards the end!Recommended for anyone who enjoys reading mother/daughter relationship novels or for lovers of cat fiction. I look forward to more fiction by Cooper!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the way Ms. Cooper wove the stories the different narrators told in such a way that the whole story unfolds at the same time that Laura comes to terms with her past and begins to open her heart. I really enjoyed Prudence's chapters - her voice sounded like how I imagine cats think! I've also thought a lot about the pivotal moment in the relationship between Laura and Sarah and wonder how things could have been different if they had been willing to talk.
    • 5/5
      I must confess I’m more of a dog person, although I’ve been owned by a few cats in my lifetime. When I got this book as a break from my usual dog books, I thought it would be a sweet quirky story from a cat’s point of view; I was wrong. It does start out that way with Prudence (the cat) narrating, but this is so much more, as the author winds her story between the cat, the mother and the daughter’s memories. Love Saves the Day is about the things left unsaid, miscommunications and how everyone remembers things differently. I loved it; every heart tugging page. All the characters seemed like someone I’ve known, almost like family. Anyone who has loved a cat, or who has suffered a loss will be touched by this story. There’s an extra bonus for music lovers of the 1960’s -1990’s especially those that remember the New York music scene in late 1970’s. Prudence is named for a Beatle song, now try and get that out of your head, I keep humming Dear Prudence. Since I didn’t know who Gwen Cooper was before I read this book, I now need to go back and read more by her. Definite 5 stars for this heart tugging story of love after loss.
    • 5/5
      This was one of the best books I have read in recent years – in fact, I truly cannot think of another book I enjoyed more! It moved me in so many ways that once I started reading it, I had great difficult putting it down even to do simple things like eat and sleep. I learned things about cats, history, music, life, death, relationships, and love. I laughed out loud at some parts, and I cried real salty tears at other times. As an animal lover, I was delighted by the chapters that were told from the perspective of Prudence the cat. Author Gwen Cooper imbued Prudence’s unique feline personality with many distinctive qualities, including that of an immigrant unable to communicate in spoken language yet learning to cope with her new surroundings, changing situations, and the various humans in her life. I was very deeply affected by the parts of the book that related to the true story of an old tenement building on NYC’s Lower East Side being suddenly evacuated and torn down while its residents watched from the street and were not allowed to collect any of their belongings from their apartments. I was touched by the relationships between the characters, both feline and human. I found many personal points of reference which connected the book with my own journey through life – mother-daughter, husband-wife, grandparents, neighbors of all ages who sometimes become more emotionally closer to us than family, and of course – the dear pets in our lives who have the ability to offer us a clear & true glimpse into our most inner selves. I hope Gwen Cooper continues to write many more books! Brava!
    • 5/5
      Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper is so wonderful that after reading it, I am going to pack it up and send it to my best friend in California!I love dogs, cats and birds and most other animals, but if you can’t stand cats, you may not enjoy this book because all the chapters labeled Prudence are seen through the eyes of a cat. The author did an amazing job of understanding cats, their thoughts and feelings, their perceptions of life through smells, hearing and sight and their ideas of the world. Of course, I am not a cat so I can only judge through my own ideas of cat’s thoughts and feelings but I believe that she nailed it.Outside of Prudence the polydactyl brown tabby with socks (human language); the story revolves around a mother and daughter, and the daughter’s marriage. The daughter, Laura is a successful lawyer working towards getting a partnership in the big firm. Her husband, Josh, has a passion for the same kind of music that her mother loved. One day, her mother dies and that eventually shakes up Laura’s inner being and threatens destruction of their marriage. Prudence, the cat had her life all structured and dependable when she was living with Sarah. Now she has to adjust to a whole new life and grieve for Sarah, Laura’s mother. In addition, there is an inclusion of a real story of the destruction of an apartment building without giving notice to the renters. This is heartbreaking situation was included by the author and there is a special note in the back of the book about it. This is unconscionable and reading the scene left me weeping for the ones in the book and for the real life people who lost everything.I highly recommend this book to all cat lovers. I think this book is a treasure.
    • 3/5
      I thought this was just another amusing story told from a cat’s perspective and then as the story progressed I appreciated it even more. There is a critical point in history – based on a true event – that is affecting all of the human relationships in the book and as that event is revealed and poked and prodded this becomes a much more meaningful story.
    • 3/5
      This book turned out not to be at all what I thought when I started it and found a cat as narrator. All I can say is--have Kleenex ready!
    • 4/5
      A very dear book. It would have been difficult to tell some of the things that the author manages to describe through the very perceptive feline narrator. (The cat is so funny and is wonderfully dignified!) I wasn't prepared for the heartbreaking description of how the cat's owners lost their home 20 years earlier, and had to put the book down and come back a day later, but it was worthwhile. Read this when it comes out! (I received the book as an early reader.)
    • 4/5
      Sarah took in Prudence, a brown tabby kitten, when she found her. Sarah’s daughter, Laura, doesn’t visit often, and things seem strained when she does. Prudence knows Sarah’s best friend, Anise, better. But one day (after Prudence has been on her own for a number of days), Laura and Josh come to pack everything up and Prudence has to go with them. Prudence can only hope that Sarah will come back to take her back home again soon. This was mostly told from Prudence’s point of view, with a few chapters from Laura’s and a couple from Sarah’s. I really enjoyed Prudence’s chapters, in particular. The author knows cats well! I had to laugh at parts of it! I was horrified to find out aboutan event that really took place in New York City in 1998 that is part of the background in this story – it shows how Sarah and Laura’s relationship became strained. I just don’t want to give it away as a bit of a spoiler. Overall, I really enjoyed this one!
    • 3/5
      I expected this book to be sort of silly and cute. I was actually looking forward to it being silly and cute. Instead it was somewhat heartbreaking. I cried more than I laughed. All in all, I enjoyed the book. I'm still a bit devastated at what was based on actual events. Even though it wasn't the story I was expecting, I'm glad I read it and I got a real kick out of the musical references. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      The novel is told primarily through the eyes of Prudence, a young cat rescued from a construction site in Manhattan by Sarah. After three years together, one day Sarah doesn’t come home. Prudence is then taken to live with Sarah’s estranged daughter Laura and her husband Josh. Prudence continues to hope that someday Sarah will return for her. The history between Laura and Sarah becomes known by the chapters narrated by two of them—which I enjoyed more than the chapters by Prudence. What I particularly enjoyed were the descriptions of the Lower East Side in the 1970s, from the drugs, to the homeless people to the music scene to the beginnings of gentrification. The final events of what took place in this area were heartbreaking. The one criticism I have of the book is that the author did not fully commit to writing the Prudence chapters as a cat—with a cat’s understanding of the human world. At times Prudence doesn't understand the workings of the human world—then in the next paragraph she will use a word like saran wrap—if you are going to use the technique of writing as an animal you have to fully commit to it. For an excellent example of this read the Art of Racing in the Rain—a book I loved. All in all, I enjoyed the last part of the book and it was, in the end, a sweet read. A 2 ½ out of 5 stars