Thirteen Cats LaVelle [Paperback]

Desmond LaVelle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 2010

Thirteen Cats LaVelle is a memoir that tells the story of a Midwestern family through the short lives of each of their thirteen cats. Many things change over the thirty-year rise and fall of the LaVelle family - all but their inability to keep cats alive. Every death of a cat marks another chapter in the silly and sometimes serious lives of the LaVelles.

Dark, honest and very funny, Thirteen Cats LaVelle isn't your everyday pet memoir. Like in real life, all the cats in this book eventually die. But unlike real life, LaVelle is able to uncover the lighter side of losing a pet and document the concurrent family drama. 

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Hello and thanks for stopping by. You look great, by the way.

Even if you don't purchase a copy of Thirteen Cats LaVelle today, I appreciate your poking around. I invite you to give a good read to the book description and the reader reviews. I'm not going to lie, a baker's dozen cats die between pages 1 and 164 of this book. If you crochet without irony or get verklempt when your kitty gets falls from the kitchen counter, Thirteen Cats LaVelle probably isn't the book for you. But if you enjoy a well-crafted, comedic memoir with dark sensibilities that tells a very human story, then I would suggest you give this one a shot. 

Regards, Desmond LaVelle

About the Author

Desmond LaVelle is a longtime advertising copywriter. In his experience, he found that billboards and bus benches were rarely big enough to tell really great stories. While crafting Super Bowl commercials and Sunday circulars, LaVelle began writing his literary debut, Thirteen Cats LaVelle.

LaVelle grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and studied Journalism at the University of Kansas. He moved to Chicago immediately after graduation and, after a short decade spent riding the elevated train, traveled west to Sausalito. A Midwesterner at heart, living in beautiful California gave him an overwhelming feeling of guilt. He currently resides in Chicago. Again.

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: lulu.com (November 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0557630355
• ISBN-13: 978-0557630356
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,083,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Desmond LaVelle is a longtime advertising copywriter. In his experience, he found that billboards and bus benches were rarely big enough to tell really great stories. While crafting Super Bowl commercials and Sunday circulars, LaVelle began writing his literary debut, Thirteen Cats LaVelle.

LaVelle grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and studied Journalism at the University of Kansas. He moved to Chicago immediately after graduation and, after a short decade spent riding the elevated train, traveled west to Sausalito. A Midwesterner at heart, living in beautiful California gave him an overwhelming feeling of guilt. He currently resides in Chicago. Again.

Feel free to send him an email at [e-mail], or just visit thirteencatslavelle.com to see what's going on for yourself.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My kind of memoir..., February 17, 2011

By 

Diane Strong - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thirteen Cats LaVelle (Paperback)

I read this book in two days. I would have finished it all at once if my being employed hadn't interfered. This book is not so much about the demise of a bunch of family cats as it is about using the cats' mortality to gauge a boy's life experiences. Mr. LaVelle is telling the story of his childhood and young adulthood based on what family, neighbors, friends and housepets he was surrounded by. I found it refreshingly quirky and he succeeded in keeping my attention. His family is quite charming and I enjoyed his stories. I identified with several situations, as I recall several of my own memories based on what cat was on my lap at the time. Did I feel sorry for the feline 'victims?' Well, sure, but who among us has not squashed something they didn't mean to? I look forward to Mr. LaVelle's future writings. Read this book not because you are a cat-lover... but because you enjoy a good memoir.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go dark!, February 14, 2011

By 

kkkkatie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thirteen Cats LaVelle (Paperback)

This is a darkly humorous series of kitty vignettes, with said kitties in the loving clutches of a darkly humorous family. A long string of bad luck? A series of unfortunate events? Whatever the reason, the affectionate descriptions of the cats and the family members (yes, the unvarnished truth is a form of affection here) and the misfortunes that befall them in their pet/owner relationships is very funny. Cat lovers who have no sense of irony or humor go elsewhere. This is funny like "Fargo." Not for everyone. But funny.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED IT!!!!!, February 19, 2011

By 

ssender - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thirteen Cats LaVelle (Paperback)

Loved this book! The author uses the "life stories" of a number of family cats to tell his story. Using everyday experiences I can see the love and humor in this family. Reads like David Sedaris. Cant wait to see the next one!