Somewhere a cat is waiting

Derek Tangye's autobiographical tales of his life in Minack with his wife Jeannie and their menagerie of cats, birds and donkeys is the ultimate escapist novel, made all the better by the fact that it all happened in real life. Mr and Mrs Tangye abandoned their high-flying City jobs (Derek at MI5 and Jeannie as PR exec for the Savoy Hotel) to live the rural dream on the Cornish Coast. Starting up a small flower growing farm (back in the days when running such a business was possible) we follow the Tangyes in their simple life and, most importantly, chart their relationship with their feline friends; Monty, Lama, Ambrose and Oliver. (And Derek's personal transformation from cat-skeptic to cat-lover.) Don't be fooled. You don't need to be a crazy-cat lady to appreciate the charm of this novel, and it really isn't as twee as the cover might suggest. The real beauty of this book comes in the couples' complete rejection of the money-orientated attitude and lifestyle so many (read: too many) people revolve their lives around. Although veering onto the slightly smug side of things at times (and who can blame them), Somewhere a cat is waiting is just so wonderfully simple. What could be more beautiful than living among and appreciating nature, animals and all the other more important things in life. Aaaah it makes me want to own a croft and start knitting...or basket weaving and planting sunflowers....