Homer

Gwen Cooper’s inspirational autobiography, “Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat,” tells the story of Homer, a blind cat. Initially hesitant to take on another feline, Gwen Cooper fell in love with Homer, a three-week-old blind kitten. Homer became a three-pound powerhouse and made friends with everyone he saw, despite the warning that he would always be an “underachiever.”

He was able to easily climb seven-foot bookcases, endure being left alone in an apartment near the World Trade Center for several days following 9/11, and even save Gwen’s life by chasing away an attacker who broke into their house in the middle of the night. The book is a celebration of overcoming great obstacles to accepting boundaries on one’s capacity for love, ability, or hope.