The Battle Cry Of The Siamese Kitten

by Philipp Schott

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten is the third collection of stories by Dr. Philipp Schott from his 30 years in practice as a small animal practice veterinarian. Released 11th Oct 2022 by ECW Press, it's 282 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. 

This is a warm and entertainingly written collection of stories gathered over a long and full career of service to his patients and their humans. He's a gifted writer and the stories are told with wit and compassion (and occasionally a little eye-rolling exasperation). The stories are arranged alphabetically by the author's admittedly eccentric chapter names (Thud, Scrumpy, and Emotional Slot Machine to give a few examples). 

My family had a tradition of reading short, well-loved, stories to one another after traditional "family" meals such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. This book, and its predecessors, would be ideal candidates for those situations. Inevitable comparisons will be made with Herriot's classics. They're not at all derivative, obviously, but fans of the latter will find much to love here.

Classic and humorous, this would be a good choice for holiday gift giving, public library acquisition, and home use. For reading out loud, readers should be aware the book contains some mild cursing (sh*t and d*mn a couple times, nothing worse).

Four and a half stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.