Chrystal Sharp's first two books, If The Cat Fits and Dog In My Footsteps, earned her an enthusiastic following — and it continues to grow. In this, her third book, the irrepressible vet's wife brings us yet more stories of her life with her husband and son in a coastal town in the Eastern Cape. In a home where domestic animals and wildlife abound, we once again encounter Beau, the wolf lookalike, who bites first and asks questions afterwards. I had to be constantly on the alert for visitors who behaved in a manner that Beau could interpret as suspicious. And on a bad day, that could be someone who coughed or sneezed once too often. 'My God, Beau, the poor woman only sneezed three times. She suffers from hayfever.' 'She was building up to something.' 'She was building up to another sneeze!' Then there's Singe, the cat who survived a shack fire; Gooseberry, a seagull who thinks a duck is his mother; penguins, a fish eagle, and the odd snake or two. Acutely observant, Sharp's writing is alive with her humour and compassion for all living creatures. She reaches into the hearts and minds of her readers, drawing them into her life. And throughout it all, one cannot help but admire her stoical efforts to maintain an air of normality — often in the face of daunting odds.
