Letters of Note: Cats, compiled by Shaun Usher, is a delightful anthology that celebrates our feline companions through an array of affectionate letters. Featuring missives from a diverse roster of contributors including Charles Dickens, Anne Frank, Raymond Chandler, and Elizabeth Taylor, this collection offers a charming glimpse into how cats have touched the lives of notable figures.

I owned the physical book but decided to listen to the audiobook while reading along. The narration, featuring contributions from a range of celebrities, added an extra layer of enjoyment to the experience. Miriam Margolyes, in particular, stood out with her engaging delivery, bringing an added warmth to the collection.

The letters in this anthology introduce readers to a variety of cats, from the beloved and revered to those who are less celebrated—and some who are quite famous. While the book itself doesn’t delve into anything particularly groundbreaking, it provides an entertaining and affectionate exploration of our relationship with cats.

For anyone who shares their life with a feline friend, Letters of Note: Cats offers a heartwarming and enjoyable read, celebrating the unique and often whimsical place that cats hold in our lives.

Each selection in this collection of letters - including celebrities of the screen, academics, and those who have changed history - includes an introduction to the writer before turning to a letter about cats. Cat lovers will find much familiar in these accounts and the letters are organized so that the reader moves from happiness to sadness to comedy to fear; the book never dwells too long in a single emotional range. Tesla’s letter (the opener) wad a particular joy.?

I requested this book, and then my beloved cat went missing. We never found him. So it was really, really hard to read this book of joyful and mourning letters about cats. From a writing standpoint, it was excellent--it's amazing how pets inspire us. But it's maybe not a gift for someone who has recently been through loss of a feline.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review

This is an amusing and fun romp for feline lovers. Who knew that Elizabeth Taylor and Ann Rand had a soft spot for cats.! We hear from so many historical and contemporary figures, sometimes grieving for the loss of a cat child, sometimes celebrating the antics of their pet, sometimes trying to charm children with silly stories or express that special something that allows people and cats to bond so well. The book also introduces the almost lost art of letter-writing and the beautiful words of many well and lesser-known writers. In one case, we even hear from a writer's mother. Give this to a cat who reads or a cat-lover who peppers conversations with frequent tales about his/her awesome pet.

A lovely collection of cat stories, found in the letters of known figures in the world. Perfect for any cat lover, and a nice glimpse into the lives of famous learned people.

Thank you to Penguin for giving me a digital galley of this book in exchange for feedback.

I've seen the "Letters of Note" web site, mostly when other people have share a link to some specific interesting letter. It's a gathering of interesting, wise, amusing, or horrifying letters, often but not always from people of historical or literary significance.

Now, Penguin is releasing small collections of interesting letters focused on specific topics. I can see on the "Letters of Note" web site that this series, in addition to the "Cats" book that I read, will include "Love," "War," "Music," "Mothers," and "Art." It's a great idea, and they'll make charming gifts, for the right readers.

This collection had letters from writers, scientists, and historically important people, and most of those letters told a story about the writer's cat, or a cat the writer knows. Some of them were funny, some terribly sad, and one made me cringe.

Cat lovers might love this - or, on the other hand, they might NOT love it, since one of the reasons a person writes a letter about their cat is that the cat has passed away, and not all cat lovers love reading those stories. So, cat lovers, you know yourself well enough to know if this book is right for you or not, and friends and relatives of cat lovers, if your friend or relative is a little sensitive to tragic animal stories, this might not be an awesome gift for that specific person.

Still, it's well done, and I"d certainly consider picking up one of the other books in the series. I suppose "War" also has tragic stories. Maybe "Music" would be safe?