Tom – the Cat: The Life and Work of Tom Cat in Sonnets

Poetry holds a magic all its own. There is not a situation that cannot be conveyed through verse and be transformed into something more beautiful, more tragic, or even more humorous. The sonnet is no exception to this rule. The flow of a sonnet makes for a beautiful reading experience, no matter the topic. Elizabeth Reinach knows this and uses it to her advantage in Tom–the Cat: The Life and Work of Tom Cat in Sonnets. She covers a myriad of topics in this masterfully penned collection of sonnets centered on Tom the cat, the animals in his neighborhood, and the humans who know him best. Tom–the Cat: The Life and Work of Tom Cat in Sonnets, by Elizabeth Reinach, is influenced by Shakespeare but only loosely. With each sonnet’s first line being the first line from a Shakespearean sonnet, Reinach sets the stage for a most interesting take on poetry and gives readers quite the realm to explore. Tom, the cat, serves as the focus of many of the sonnets. Still, Reinach has included a great blend of other characters to give readers a nice variety and increase the relatability of the writing. The love for Tom the cat on the narrator’s part is evident. We don’t have any love equal to that love we feel for our pets, and Reinach communicates this very effectively. There are many different situations depicted, and each one shows Tom as quite the character, but they are always enveloped in tenderness. Sweet black and white illustrations pepper the text and add to the effectiveness of Reinach’s work and the feeling of genuine love. When I read the introduction, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the Shakespearean aspect of the writing. In all honesty, I didn’t know how well it would work with the subject matter. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly Reinach combined a more modern sonnet with Shakespeare’s classic lines. It all comes together for a fantastic and engaging read. Tom–the Cat: The Life and Work of Tom Cat in Sonnets will captivate various readers, animal lovers, poetry fans, and those who enjoy exploring new and different genres will enjoy Reinach’s work. This superb collection of poetry is a must-read for pet owners.