Tag: blindness

Book Report: Mona’s Eyes

I finished this novel/art history textbook before I left for South Carolina, but needed to find time to write it up. Mona’s Eyes is a masterpiece that will live on for many generations. Or so I think. It’s by Thomas Schlesser and was originally published in French. The translator did a superb job capturing Frenchness into English.

The plot sounds really strange when you describe it. The grandfather of a young girl who might be going blind takes her to museums in Paris to view a piece of art per week. She learns and grows. The end.

Unfolded cover

There’s more to it than that. It’s more fun to discover it for yourself. The bonus is that you get a free Art Appreciation 101 class along with your novel. It’s great. The book jacket is secretly a key to all the art discussed, so you have a reference point. I rearranged the cover many times for handy viewing.

Other side of the book jacket

Mona is a bit strange and eerily smart for her age. She also has super vision, other than that impending blindness. And the grandfather is a warm and emotionally complicated guy, too. All the characters are nicely developed and it’s fun to watch the plot unfold while simultaneously learning to analyze art from ancient times to this century.

The only caveat I have about Mona’s Eyes is that it assumes some degree of cultural literacy and a bit of understanding of French history. I had to look up a couple of references, though Schlesser does a pretty good job of working in historical context and art terminology as the action unfolds. I found the educational part really fun.

If you have some time and a place where you can focus, you’ll treasure this book like I did.

Book Report: Piglet

My new blogging strategy does include continuing with book reports. They are among the least-read posts, but the people who do read them seem to enjoy them, and I like having a record of what I read over the past few years. So, let’s go!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

My friend Johanna recommended the book Piglet: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family to me, saying it reminded her of me and my dogs. Once I started reading it, I could see how she came to that conclusion!

Piglet is an example of what could have happened with Carlton if he hadn’t lucked out and had spots on his ears and near his eyes. That’s a double dapple or double merle or one of those genetic issues that can happen when two dogs with the dapple or merle gene breed and get homozygous.

So, little Piglet ended up very pink and both blind and deaf. The fact that he has ended up being a social media star and an ambassador for both animals and people with disabilities is an amazing testimony to the creativity and determination of the veterinarian who adopted him, Melissa Shapiro.

Along with her family (especially Warren, her wonderful husband) and their six other dogs (and some birds), Piglet had a lot of supporters and helpers when he was little. I found it fascinating to read about how he figured out his world with his nose, including remembering people by their breath!

You can sure see the resemblance between Piglet and Carlton. Piglet is the same mix that Vlassic is, though (dachshund and chihuahua)

Shapiro’s pets did remind my friend of our pets, but the difference is that Shapiro has a lot more discipline and organizational skills than I do, so her dogs have a lot more skills and control than ours. But, the love is the same! I enjoyed getting to meet all the other pets in the household as well as Shapiro’s children, who thrived in the supportive yet disciplined environment in which they grew up. I had to smile huge smiles as I saw how each of them became their own person and braved the world with the confidence their parents helped them develop. Good job, Shapiros.

Wild dogs!

It’s hard not to like this book. It also makes you want to run out and contribute to Piglet’s nonprofit that supports educating people about the many accomplishments both humans and animals can have when they don’t allow disabilities to limit them. The Piglet Mindset is a great thing to have! Many readers will find themselves looking at disabilities differently after reading Piglet, and that makes is a truly wonderful book to have.

Check out Piglet’s Facebook page and his nonprofit and follow the extreme cuteness and pluck of this little dog. He has a lot of life left in him and a lot of work he can still do!