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A Snowflake In My Hand
A Snowflake in My Hand is Samantha Mooney’s heartwarming account of the many years she spent working at New York City’s famous Animal Centre.In this unforgettable story, Samantha recalls the work of a dedicated team of professionals who, faced with tragic cases of abandonment and often incurable illness among the animals they cared for, somehow managed to find both companionship and laughter in that caring. As she looks back on how the centre became a sanctuary of hope where miracles sometimes happened, she also remembers one special, tiny black cat called Fledermaus who captured her heart and showed her the risks and the rewards of daring to love again.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 22, 2018
One of my favourites. Warning - this book may make you cry. Samantha works in the oncology section of New York City's Animal Medical Center, a leading veterinary cancer treatment/teaching hospital. It is a positively focussed workplace where they endeavour to increase each animals' life span, and quality of life. We come to know, and love, many of the cats Samantha interacts with on the job, and at home. If you've ever thrilled to the sound of a cat purring in your arms, you'll easily understand the laughter, and the tears, of Samantha's life.
I don't enjoy reading about the end of a life anymore than anyone else, but I do like my heart to be deeply moved, and that is what this book did. The joy that cats bring to us in their short time (sometimes very short) here on earth is beyond wonderful, and this book reminds us of that, too.
5 Stars = It made a significant impact on my heart, and/or mind. It moved me. I won't forget it.
I don't enjoy reading about the end of a life anymore than anyone else, but I do like my heart to be deeply moved, and that is what this book did. The joy that cats bring to us in their short time (sometimes very short) here on earth is beyond wonderful, and this book reminds us of that, too.
5 Stars = It made a significant impact on my heart, and/or mind. It moved me. I won't forget it.
October 25, 2011
OMG! I totally forgot I had this book! Somehow, it was lost in the shuffle and I just (joyously) came across it the other day. I sat down and read it almost at once, smiling, laughing, and weeping the whole time. I found it beautiful and touching, heartbreaking and heartwarming. How hard the jobs of these vets and techs must be, to work with such sick animals, but how gratifying. Mooney really hits on some deeply true sentiments concerning life, cats, love, loss, and (especially) the special bond between people and pets. While the writing, overall, isn't astounding, her sentiments are and she has moments of such simple truths, words that strike such a resounding chord, that it is easy to overlook the "literary" faults.
In fact, I have to share my favorite quote, which struck me so deeply and made me think of all the cats I have met and loved, in my own home, others, and the sometimes heartbreakingly sad world of the local pound:
'I remember a doctor at the hospital asking me...what was so special about that cat. "She's only a little black cat," he said. As though there were millions, or even one, just like her.
One evening my mother called, and while we talked she asked me how my little black cat was doing. I tried to answer but could not. After a long pause she asked, "When did it happen?"
"Thanksgiving morning," I replied.
"I'm so sorry, dear. But you had a such nice vacation together, and she had a good life with you."
But it was not enough.
"And you have your others."
But it was not the same.
No, dear author, it is not the same, is it? No matter how much you love the others, even if you love them more, it is never the same, and it is never enough.
In fact, I have to share my favorite quote, which struck me so deeply and made me think of all the cats I have met and loved, in my own home, others, and the sometimes heartbreakingly sad world of the local pound:
'I remember a doctor at the hospital asking me...what was so special about that cat. "She's only a little black cat," he said. As though there were millions, or even one, just like her.
One evening my mother called, and while we talked she asked me how my little black cat was doing. I tried to answer but could not. After a long pause she asked, "When did it happen?"
"Thanksgiving morning," I replied.
"I'm so sorry, dear. But you had a such nice vacation together, and she had a good life with you."
But it was not enough.
"And you have your others."
But it was not the same.
No, dear author, it is not the same, is it? No matter how much you love the others, even if you love them more, it is never the same, and it is never enough.
April 17, 2008
This is perhaps the most touching book I have ever read regarding pet care and pet loss. It brings me to tears every time I read it.
June 23, 2015
Ah. This really made me cry...I could have cried a lot more than I did but I was holding it back. I think for me, Clancy's death was the one that affected me the most. Clancy illustrated that trait of cats that make them proud, daring, sneaky, and independent yet affectionate... that thing that you love about them and hate about them at the same time. When he started to go downhill and wasn't able to exert that, it really hit me. For some reason, his loss of swagger and independence seemed so..so sad. That thing a cat may treasure most was robbed from him. I feel like I am not explaining this well at all, but if you read, you will see. And do read... it was really sad, but really good. Makes me miss all my kittens, the living and the passed. I don't get how anyone can not love cats.
August 11, 2012
One of my favorites, but also the most heartbreaking, touching, etc. You have to read it to understand. There are no words.
March 31, 2008
A heartwarming (and breaking) book about many of the cats that went through Sam Mooney's life. Ms. Mooney certainly knows cats and she takes you into brief sections of their lives so you get to know and love them too, even though you've never met them. I loved this book (even if I wished it had been longer so I could have spent more time with it!) and it's helped me a bit since the sudden loss of two of my cats. The author's beautiful writing shows us, the reader, that life does go on and their memory will always stay with you. Every cat is special and has an integral part of their owner's life, and anyone who's ever known them. Excellent book.
July 15, 2015
I have never cried so much at a book. This 152 page book had me sobbing at least 10 times. Even on my lunchbreak at work.
May 10, 2016
I didn't even realize they could treat feline cancer in the 80s, much less devote a hospital ward to it. The writing style didn't move me, but there were a lot of cute cat stories (#TeamClancy forever), and Fledermaus is my new fave cat name of all time.
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January 28, 2014Samantha Mooney has a life that is basically run by cats. She lives and works with them everyday in hopes of saving a life.
In A Snowflake in my Hand Mooney tells of life in an oncology clinic for cats. The group that works in the ward become attached to their patients and fight for each cat in a different way.
As the cats come and go in the book I found myself tearing up as the goodbyes were said. There are several cats that Mooney takes to the beach as their last days begin to draw near. She wants them to enjoy the ocean and the sun before they are gone.
As the book progresses many cats find their way into Mooney's heart. There is Clancy who lives at the Animal Medical Center. Clancy runs the show and when Mooney is late to work Clancy paces furiously in the hall by the elevator waiting for the chance to scold her when she finally shows up to feed him.
Then there is Fledermaus who wiggles her little six pound self right into Mooney's world. She is a constance companion at the clinic and even accompanies Mooney to a hotel where cat's are not allowed. The Maus, as Mooney calls her, is hidden in a small wicker basket and I laughed out loud when Mooney describes the difficulty she had keeping The Maus a secret.
The book details the life of a cat in the oncology unit from the first visit with their worried owner to the final goodbye and all measures taken to save their life.
It sounds like a depressing book but the joy the cats bring with their silly antics and the amazing way of bouncing back from illness let me get a glimpse into the world of an animal hospital that not only treats cats but loves them as well.
In A Snowflake in my Hand Mooney tells of life in an oncology clinic for cats. The group that works in the ward become attached to their patients and fight for each cat in a different way.
As the cats come and go in the book I found myself tearing up as the goodbyes were said. There are several cats that Mooney takes to the beach as their last days begin to draw near. She wants them to enjoy the ocean and the sun before they are gone.
As the book progresses many cats find their way into Mooney's heart. There is Clancy who lives at the Animal Medical Center. Clancy runs the show and when Mooney is late to work Clancy paces furiously in the hall by the elevator waiting for the chance to scold her when she finally shows up to feed him.
Then there is Fledermaus who wiggles her little six pound self right into Mooney's world. She is a constance companion at the clinic and even accompanies Mooney to a hotel where cat's are not allowed. The Maus, as Mooney calls her, is hidden in a small wicker basket and I laughed out loud when Mooney describes the difficulty she had keeping The Maus a secret.
The book details the life of a cat in the oncology unit from the first visit with their worried owner to the final goodbye and all measures taken to save their life.
It sounds like a depressing book but the joy the cats bring with their silly antics and the amazing way of bouncing back from illness let me get a glimpse into the world of an animal hospital that not only treats cats but loves them as well.
July 15, 2014
I think I'll have to reread this in order to comprehend all of the emotions I worked through while reading it the first time. The writing doesn't always flow the way I'd like it to, but the emotions that the author evokes in the reader more than make up for that. What I found especially touching was the excerpt at the end that almost read like poetry even though it was not.
"She is with me, as real as the winter snow that blends the tears upon my face. And it is only when I try to touch her, to make her linger yet awhile, that she dies all over again. A snowflake in my hand . . ."
Reading the entire passage brings tears to my eyes. All I wanted to do after I finished this was to go home and hug my furbabies. I can't even imagine the pain and stress of working in an oncology unit, feline, human or other, but I know that each life has meaning. Each spirit touches someone, and no matter how short their life they deserve to be remembered. I'm just glad Samantha Mooney was able to immortalize some of those short lives by sharing her memories of them in "A Snowflake in My Hand".
"She is with me, as real as the winter snow that blends the tears upon my face. And it is only when I try to touch her, to make her linger yet awhile, that she dies all over again. A snowflake in my hand . . ."
Reading the entire passage brings tears to my eyes. All I wanted to do after I finished this was to go home and hug my furbabies. I can't even imagine the pain and stress of working in an oncology unit, feline, human or other, but I know that each life has meaning. Each spirit touches someone, and no matter how short their life they deserve to be remembered. I'm just glad Samantha Mooney was able to immortalize some of those short lives by sharing her memories of them in "A Snowflake in My Hand".
February 26, 2015
A great book for all cat lovers. This is about a young woman in the early 1980's working on the cancer floor of the Animal Medical Center In New York City. Many of the cats she wroks with are there long term for treatment or were surrendered and the staff continues to treat their cancer. Samantha has several cats of her own at home, but always takes cats from the clinic on vacation with her so they can enjoy being away from the clinic. After reading the book, I understand the title. Each cat is unique like a snowflake and is only with us for a short time.
I don't like books that make me cry, but this was bittersweet. I get more upset reading of animals that were abused. All these cats were loved and cared for until the end of their lives, but they had to endure cancer and treatments.
I have searched online for the author, but can find no information. I would love to know if she continued working there or took a different direction due to the heart break she had to endure almost daily.
I don't like books that make me cry, but this was bittersweet. I get more upset reading of animals that were abused. All these cats were loved and cared for until the end of their lives, but they had to endure cancer and treatments.
I have searched online for the author, but can find no information. I would love to know if she continued working there or took a different direction due to the heart break she had to endure almost daily.
October 9, 2012
This book is so moving and anyone who has ever shared their lives with a most beloved cat (and lost them to an old age or illness) will not be able to read it without crying your eyes out. Ms. Mooney conveys the closeness and love that only a fellow cat lover would understand. If you are special enough to have had a cat share their self with you the way so many did with Ms. Mooney, you will love this book. I will be passing this book on to many friends and family.
May 13, 2013
I reread this book every few years, usually crying through the last fifty pages or so and feeling kind of flattened for at least a few days afterward. I don't know of any other book that affects me like that - or another that makes me want to reread it after it made me sad. It talks a lot about love and loss and grief and quality of life, in a way that nothing else has ever spoken to me.
October 17, 2008
A beautiful book about the connections formed between humans and their cats. Filled with laughter and tears this book will forever be on my bookshelf
January 16, 2024
3.5 ★ - http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...
cover:
In a book that reflects her years of work at New York City's famous Animal Medical Centre, Samantha Mooney creates a miracle of her own - the unforgettable story of dedicated professionals who, faced with sometimes incurable illness among the animals they care for, nevertheless find companionship and laughter in that caring. But above all, this is a story of cats: Clancy, a tiger-suited Irish rogue who refuses to be caged; gentle Oliver Cromwell, who summers in Maine and makes friends with his own personal seagull; and one tiny black cat, Fledermaus, who breaks through Samantha's own wall of frozen grief after her father's death and shows her the rewards, and the risks, of loving again.
Samantha seems to spend more time with the clinic cats than her own, she certainly never mentions taking her own cats on holiday. I enjoyed reading about all the cats but there wasn't a lot of feeling in the writing - I'm sure the feelings were there, but they didn't come through in the words I read. I wasn't particularly moved at any point, although I did shudder to think what some of these treatments cost. While I did not find Mooney's writing particularly evocative, I acknowledge the poignancy & sadness inherent in owning & losing pets, treating & euthanizing them.
I think the "wall of frozen grief" in the blurb was an overstatement - the author certainly grieved, but I couldn't see anything that needed icebreaking, & if it had, surely her own cats would have provided the comfort she needed.
I enjoyed all the cats, but I found Oliver Cromwell & his seagull particularly moving. As a pet owner, I know how short the lives are of our furry companions, & how private is our grief - society still doesn't acknowledge the effect of the loss of a much loved pet. I shed a tear & then concentrate on all the happy times we had together - that, after all, is the point sharing your life with pets. If you concentrate on the loss instead of the joy, what is the point of having pets at all?
cover:
In a book that reflects her years of work at New York City's famous Animal Medical Centre, Samantha Mooney creates a miracle of her own - the unforgettable story of dedicated professionals who, faced with sometimes incurable illness among the animals they care for, nevertheless find companionship and laughter in that caring. But above all, this is a story of cats: Clancy, a tiger-suited Irish rogue who refuses to be caged; gentle Oliver Cromwell, who summers in Maine and makes friends with his own personal seagull; and one tiny black cat, Fledermaus, who breaks through Samantha's own wall of frozen grief after her father's death and shows her the rewards, and the risks, of loving again.
Samantha seems to spend more time with the clinic cats than her own, she certainly never mentions taking her own cats on holiday. I enjoyed reading about all the cats but there wasn't a lot of feeling in the writing - I'm sure the feelings were there, but they didn't come through in the words I read. I wasn't particularly moved at any point, although I did shudder to think what some of these treatments cost. While I did not find Mooney's writing particularly evocative, I acknowledge the poignancy & sadness inherent in owning & losing pets, treating & euthanizing them.
I think the "wall of frozen grief" in the blurb was an overstatement - the author certainly grieved, but I couldn't see anything that needed icebreaking, & if it had, surely her own cats would have provided the comfort she needed.
I enjoyed all the cats, but I found Oliver Cromwell & his seagull particularly moving. As a pet owner, I know how short the lives are of our furry companions, & how private is our grief - society still doesn't acknowledge the effect of the loss of a much loved pet. I shed a tear & then concentrate on all the happy times we had together - that, after all, is the point sharing your life with pets. If you concentrate on the loss instead of the joy, what is the point of having pets at all?
December 31, 2022
This is a beautifully written book that describes the joys and sorrows of sharing one's life with cats. In the first pages, no description was more poignant to me than ~ "The song that Clancy purred to me the first night he entered my life became a vital part of my days for the next two years." I was instantly taken back to the first night with each of the cats that have shared my life ~Russian Blue, Lovely Sunshine (L.S. for short) and tabby, Jolie ~ and our shared time like a quick video playing highlights of all the special memories of spontaneous moments that transpire into a litany of unconditional love.
Samantha Mooney captures part of her life journey devoting her working hours and much of her spare time to the often terminally ill cats in the Cancer Therapy Unit of N.Y.'s Animal Medical Center. It is a precious memoir by an insightful woman of sharing life with cats ~ each unique, each precious.
Samantha Mooney captures part of her life journey devoting her working hours and much of her spare time to the often terminally ill cats in the Cancer Therapy Unit of N.Y.'s Animal Medical Center. It is a precious memoir by an insightful woman of sharing life with cats ~ each unique, each precious.
August 14, 2013
I couldn't read this a month after our cat Pippin died. But now it has been five months, and I found it helped me with my grief.
August 10, 2013
Do NOT read this if you had difficulty reading Marley & Me or The Art of Racing in the Rain. This is a wonderful book but there is a lot of sadness. It's about people in an animal hospital treating cancer in cats. There is some success, but just like in humans, there is a lot of failure.
It's a quick read but don't do it on a gray, dreary day.
It's a quick read but don't do it on a gray, dreary day.
June 20, 2016
Collection of stories about the Authors years working at New York City's famous Animal Medical Center. If you can't handle stories about the death of an animal then pass on this book, it contains no happy endings. She worked with cats that had terminal illnesses. It does have a bit of humor and you can see her patience and courage radiate from the pages.
June 20, 2009
Such a great book! I cried with happiness and sadness many times while reading this. The author makes you fall in love with each cat and share her feelings for them. I recommend this book to all animal lovers.
July 17, 2017
I found following Samantha's life a beautiful but painful experience, as a fellow cat lover. I cannot even begin to comprehend the feelings I felt whilst reading this. I would recommend keeping tissues handy, as I must have cried on at least five different occasions reading this!
February 13, 2017
Different and poetic
I wasn't sure what to expect from an older book about cats and vets. This one was different than the other vet tech books I've read. The writing is almost lyrical, which is a nice surprise in a book in this genre. I recommend it.
I wasn't sure what to expect from an older book about cats and vets. This one was different than the other vet tech books I've read. The writing is almost lyrical, which is a nice surprise in a book in this genre. I recommend it.
September 26, 2024
What an absolute gem of a book. Samantha has a way of writing that draws you in and makes you feel like you're right there with her, experiencing all the highs and lows that she experiences while working in an oncology unit at an animal hospital in New York City during the early 1980's.
We are introduced to cats that touch, not only her life, but her heart. Cats such as Clancy, Mykonos, Oliver, Sam, Fledermaus and Chico. As she falls in love with them, so do we.
Samantha also has 5 cats of her own at home and I was tickled that one of them has the same name as one of mine, Daphne.
We don't only get to learn about what goes on in Samantha's work life but also in her personal life.
Her writing style is vivid and wrapped with feeling and emotion on every page and I delighted in following her through her daily life in the course of a few years.
I cried no less than half a dozen times throughout this book and it was worth every tear that I shed.
Knowing first hand how it feels to love and lose a beloved animal companion, this book touched my heart in so many ways.
This is one of those books that will live on my book shelf forever as I can't bear to part with its beauty.
Thank-you for writing this book Miss. Mooney, it was an honour to read.
We are introduced to cats that touch, not only her life, but her heart. Cats such as Clancy, Mykonos, Oliver, Sam, Fledermaus and Chico. As she falls in love with them, so do we.
Samantha also has 5 cats of her own at home and I was tickled that one of them has the same name as one of mine, Daphne.
We don't only get to learn about what goes on in Samantha's work life but also in her personal life.
Her writing style is vivid and wrapped with feeling and emotion on every page and I delighted in following her through her daily life in the course of a few years.
I cried no less than half a dozen times throughout this book and it was worth every tear that I shed.
Knowing first hand how it feels to love and lose a beloved animal companion, this book touched my heart in so many ways.
This is one of those books that will live on my book shelf forever as I can't bear to part with its beauty.
Thank-you for writing this book Miss. Mooney, it was an honour to read.
May 25, 2020
A sad story of an veterinary oncology nurse who has helped multiple cats through the years.
November 16, 2024
Ohhh...bittersweet...💜🐈
September 5, 2015
A book for cat lovers.
I enjoyed this book, a memoir by a veterinary nurse who was working in the oncology section of New York City's Animal Medical Center. She obviously has a passion for cats; she seems to love those in the treatment centre as much as her growing population at home.
Sometimes I thought she seemed to relate to cats better than people and the sorrow at the loss of a couple of her most loved patients was possibly even greater than at the death of her father.
The book was published in 1983, so I'd expect that some of the treatments are now dated. Similarly, I wonder if cats would be allowed to wander around the facility with such ease, particularly Clancy, who had left his own household of cats because he might pass on his form of feline leukemia. In spite of being potentially contagious, he was given free reign of the offices and waiting area.
I was also most surprised to find that Ms Mooney took certain cats (never her own) on holiday with her. When we moved house our cats were petrified for days, I cannot imagine a 'holiday' being a pleasant experience for them.
There were quite a few cats throughout the book and I struggled to remember all their names and ailments, but they were all adorable and it was so sad when any of them died. There was an overall positive feel however, as the doctors and staff lovingly treated each animal, hoping to increase its life span and quality of life.
This is definitely a book for cat lovers, and if that's you, then snap this one up.
I enjoyed this book, a memoir by a veterinary nurse who was working in the oncology section of New York City's Animal Medical Center. She obviously has a passion for cats; she seems to love those in the treatment centre as much as her growing population at home.
Sometimes I thought she seemed to relate to cats better than people and the sorrow at the loss of a couple of her most loved patients was possibly even greater than at the death of her father.
The book was published in 1983, so I'd expect that some of the treatments are now dated. Similarly, I wonder if cats would be allowed to wander around the facility with such ease, particularly Clancy, who had left his own household of cats because he might pass on his form of feline leukemia. In spite of being potentially contagious, he was given free reign of the offices and waiting area.
I was also most surprised to find that Ms Mooney took certain cats (never her own) on holiday with her. When we moved house our cats were petrified for days, I cannot imagine a 'holiday' being a pleasant experience for them.
There were quite a few cats throughout the book and I struggled to remember all their names and ailments, but they were all adorable and it was so sad when any of them died. There was an overall positive feel however, as the doctors and staff lovingly treated each animal, hoping to increase its life span and quality of life.
This is definitely a book for cat lovers, and if that's you, then snap this one up.
May 27, 2016
This tells of Mooney’s experiences over a year at working in the Animal Medical Centre in New York (although she worked there longer than this).
Mooney worked in oncology with cats.
I found the way she wrote bleak (perhaps a function of the work). The emotion she felt was only there because of the descriptions of her tears or her grief, the words she used conveyed what was happening but not what was felt – although this was apparent by what was happening – so the emotion for me was more intellectual than felt – which is usually a negative for me when reading. I like to feel when I read.
Although having said that, I did shed a few tears for some of the deaths she described.
One of the saddest stories, for me, was that of an owner and patient who both had breast cancer, the cat outlived the owner. The family wanted to euthanize the cat, but the centre offered to look after him.
It was interesting to have the perspective of an insider who works with sick animals, in this case often terminal – I have always thought it would be an emotionally draining job and this confirmed that thought.
Mooney worked in oncology with cats.
I found the way she wrote bleak (perhaps a function of the work). The emotion she felt was only there because of the descriptions of her tears or her grief, the words she used conveyed what was happening but not what was felt – although this was apparent by what was happening – so the emotion for me was more intellectual than felt – which is usually a negative for me when reading. I like to feel when I read.
Although having said that, I did shed a few tears for some of the deaths she described.
One of the saddest stories, for me, was that of an owner and patient who both had breast cancer, the cat outlived the owner. The family wanted to euthanize the cat, but the centre offered to look after him.
It was interesting to have the perspective of an insider who works with sick animals, in this case often terminal – I have always thought it would be an emotionally draining job and this confirmed that thought.
December 26, 2015
I was a bit surprised by what I learnt about myself when I read this book. The author cares for terminally ill cats and weaves together a story of her own life, the cats' lives and veterinary medicine. I was touched by her patience and care and her ability to portray the personalities of the animals in her care. It was quite sad in parts and I surprised myself by thinking that continuously caring for and applying medical procedures and treatments to terminally ill cats is a worthwhile pursuit. I guess I hadn't really thought about it before I read her story.
February 4, 2016
A Beautiful story and a quick read. The only thing I had a problem with was the way the Author wrote her sentences. They felt short, stilted and I had to adjust my way of reading to follow her way of writing. Still, this book is a tear jerker and a heart melter. You find yourself seeing each cat she describes and learning to love them just as she fell in love with them.
August 13, 2009
Not really what I was expecting. A peek into a facility offering care to pets (almost all cats) who have forms of cancer. Special staff and special owners experience joy and sadness. A very nicely written glimpse into a world I hope to only read about.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews