Betsy Pauly's posthumous memoir collects 19 sassy, uplifting essays about rescuing stray cats and dogs. Jen Braaksma edited the sparkling sketches into shape, but Befriending Betsy does more than showcase Pauly's writing; it also reflects on what people leave behind, in life and on the page, and celebrates the connections that pets--and books--enable.
Pauly, a painter and entrepreneur, died of a rare lung condition at 58. Her epitaph says it all: "Sure Had Fun.... Spay Your Pets." Though an optimist, she railed against irresponsible pet owners who dumped unwanted animals at the roadside or didn't neuter them. She rehabilitated more than 100 abandoned pets and gave would-be adopters the third degree. However, when planned pairings fell through, the Paulys' menagerie grew--to 13 felines, plus a dog or two. Many rescues warrant a dedicated piece, such as Atticus Finch, a cat who appeared one Thanksgiving; and Marvelous Marvin, a boisterous mutt who bulldozed a nativity display. Pauly describes the animals and humans of her "own little Mayberry" (Carthage, Mo.) with equal dexterity. Not all endings are happy, but the charming stories highlight communion across species lines.
Braaksma values Pauly's authenticity and sense of humor and deems her a literary kindred spirit. Her editorial commentary adds autobiographical parallels, draws life lessons, and announces themes. A few essays seem thin or repetitive, but all benefit from Pauly's alliterative punning and colloquialisms ("my whiskery psych ward of maladjusted misfits"). Pauly was "all heart," Braaksma declares, and animal lovers will get the warm fuzzies from her altruistic adventures. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck