Attracted by the description of “Saving Frankie: Adventures of a Rescued Barn Cat” and because I am a lifelong cat lover, I borrowed this book thinking I would share it with my granddaughter who loves all critters. The holidays came along, and I got busy then I found the book on my shelf and decided it was time to read it.

I fell in love from the first page. Bobbi Phelps’s descriptive writing drew me into Frankie’s story. I could feel the warmth of the barn, see the sunlight streaming across the hay, and hear the pitiful cry of baby Frankie as he begged for help.

Frankie reminded so much of a stray, part Siamese cat my son had adopted many years ago that I identified with this little bundle of fluff. There’s something about the vulnerability of a kitten that touches even the hardest heart, and Phelps taps into that feeling.

Following Frankie’s adventures with Phelps brought back memories of times I’ve shared with my feline friends over the years. Playful, curious, and always into something, Frankie is a delight. As his life becomes entwined with his mistress the affection between them grows. Cats are independent creatures who worm their way into our hearts while maintaining an aloofness and inscrutability that quickly turns to snuggle love at the drop of a hat. Frankie embodies all the fun and frustration that comes with being a cat keeper. (We are not owners. Cats permit us to be their guardians but remain sovereigns.)

Of course, there is the inevitable conclusion to this delightful tale. Phelps handles this with the grace and dignity a feline deserves. Yes, I cried. But recalling Frankie’s adventure, the love and companionship he shared with Phelps made me smile.

The addition of coloring pages is an added treat for young readers. I confess I wanted to color those pictures! I may have to buy my own copy of this delightful story of love and commitment. I’ll have to share it with my 9-year old granddaughter who loved Frankie as much as I do.

This is a book for all ages, school-age children through adulthood. And it’s a story I know I will read more than once.

Bobbi Phelps grew up in Connecticut. She is the winner of the Arnold Gingrich Writers Award, is a twenty-year member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, President of the Authors Guild of Tennessee, and writes periodic travel series for The Connection, a Tennessee newspaper. Her business, Angler’s Calendar and Catalog Company, won Exporter of the Year for the State of Idaho in 1993.