A Snowflake in My Hand (Paperback)

by Samantha Mooney (Author) "My alarm clock failed to ring, but by skipping morning coffee I managed to be only fifteen minutes late..." (more)
Key Phrases: leukemia test, New York, Monica Cosgrove, Christmas Eve (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A miracle of a book--a joyous celebration of the unspoken but deeply felt bond between animals and people and, in Roger Caras's words, "a celebration of life in the face of death".

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: Delta (April 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385297211
• ISBN-13: 978-0385297219
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #141,734 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

155 of 155 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Quality of Life" for the Heart and Mind, February 10, 2001

By	Ann L. Weber "Psych Prof" (Asheville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The affecting cover painting drew me to buy this book, and it changed my life--I'm not exaggerating. I ended up requiring it for my college "Psychology of Loss" class and recommending it to my "People & Animals" class. Samantha Mooney grasps the preciousness and depth of each cat's life as she recalls the feline personalities she met on the animal cancer ward where she worked. Better than any professional manual I've read, Mooney's deceptively slim volume presents the issue of an animal's "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, Mooney's 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.

69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compassionate Work Eloquently Authored, August 6, 2000

By	Susie (Louisiana USA) - See all my reviews

The author worked for 10 years on the eighth floor of New York's famous Animal Medical Center - the eighth floor housing the cancer clinic.

All animal people will be deeply moved and inspired by Ms. Mooney's 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.

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will cry, smile, laugh, it's wonderful, you'll love it, March 12, 1998

By	greentaisa "greentaisa" (AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Snowflake in My Hand: The Inside Story of One of the Most Famous Clinics in the World, Beautifully Told, With Warmth and Compassion" (Audio Cassette)

I have not read the book only listened to the tape (the book is on back order). I and my wife have a deep and long time love for our 6 (yes six) cats and these tapes only served to not only deepen those feelings but to better understand how our lives are so much better because of them. I also work with students in the field of patient care (people patients)and will use this set of tapes to help them better understand those patients that they will be working with once out of school. If we are able to give unconditional love for others the way cats give there love.... oh what a wonderful world it would be.