It is a simple book, written for the average person. Nothing fancy, just a book written from the heart. If youve ever had the love of a cat, dog, or any other creature in your life then please get this book. It will warm your heart and make you feel what its like to know true, sincere love. For those who think that humans are the only creatures with souls and feelings, your should read this book and maybe realize that we are truly not alone, there are intelligent and caring lifeforms all around us.
The affecting cover painting drew me to buy this book, and it changed my life--Im not exaggerating. I ended up requiring it for my college "Psychology of Loss" class and recommending it to my "People and Animals" class. Samantha Mooney grasps the preciousness and depth of each cats life as she recalls the feline personalities she met on the animal cancer ward where she worked. Better than any professional manual Ive read, Mooneys deceptively slim volume presents the issue of an animals "quality of life," and its place at the core of deciding whether and when to euthanize a beloved, sick companion animal. Blending genuine emotion with her professional commitment to care and assistance, Mooney captures the fragility of these brief lives--like snowflakes melting in the warmth of the human hand that would save their beauty and uniqueness--these brief lives that share and change our own. I came to love every cat remembered in these pages as I read and reread them, particularly Fledermaus, Mooneys tiny, mysterious friend, who has affected Mooney most of all. I passionately recommend this gem of a book to any reader interested not only in cats and any of the animals with whom we share the world, but also anyone who must deal with questions about the meaning and quality of life, the possibilities and limits of medical care, and the ways we risk love--and face grief in the wake of loss. I treasure my dog-eared (!) copy of "A Snowflake in My Hand," and though I wish I knew Samantha Mooney personally, still I feel I have gotten to know her as well as the cats in her life, and to feel they are friends. As long as we keep our loved ones in memory, we do not lose them.
The author worked for 10 years on the eighth floor of New Yorks famous Animal Medical Center - the eighth floor housing the cancer clinic. All animal people will be deeply moved and inspired by Ms. Mooneys story of cats approaching a prolonged painful death. The little cats she came to know so well through their illnesses, will bring smiles amidst tears with the felines courage, patience and spiritedness as they face each day living with a terminal illness. This small slim book is filled with warmth and sensitivity of inspiring lessons in human love, joy, loss, and triumph over grief.
