The White Cat and the Monk

For my first book review journal book I read "The White Cat and the Monk" by Jo Ellen Bogart. The story is a modern adaptation of the classic Irish poem "Pangur Ban" which I also read to get a better understanding of the text. I found this book on SLJ.com (school library journal). The story tells of a cat that every night wanders into the monastery where each night he sits outside a mouse's hole waiting for him while a monk sits up all night working on his writings. The monk and the cat each stay up until dawn each day patiently doing their "work" The story teaches a great lesson of patience and companionship. The monk realizes that he and the cat are very much alike. Each night they sit up and patiently work away at their task both of them doing what they were made to do. Though they never directly interact they form a sort of bond knowing that they are both fulfilling their purposes in each others company. The story teaches a great lesson about companionship and how simple it can be while still being very meaningful. It also addresses the virtue of patience and how consistent patience will lead to good things. I think these are both very important things and are two concepts that I personally try to work into my daily life so this book was very relatable and easy for me to read. For me companionship is one of the most important things in life. Family, friends, and my wonderful girlfriend are all incredibly important to me and I think that without companionship mankind would be a dull and meaningless species. Patience is also something that I have always prided myself on. I believe patience is extremely important especially in times of conflict. I believe that being patient in the face of adversity will 100% of the time lead to a happier and more fulfilling future than acting on pure emotion and being rash. Overall I thought this book, while very simple, was very meaningful and well done.