Book Summary and Reviews of My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci

Book Summary

A love story set in two countries and in two radically different moments in time, bringing together a young man, his mother, a boa constrictor, and one capricious cat.

In 1980s Yugoslavia, a young Muslim girl is married off to a man she hardly knows, and what was meant to be a happy match quickly goes wrong. Shortly thereafter, the country is torn apart by war and she and her family flee to Finland, where her son Bekim grows up to become a social outcast - not just an immigrant in a country suspicious of foreigners but also a gay man in an unaccepting society. Aside from casual hookups, his only companion is a boa constrictor that, improbably (he is terrified of snakes), he lets roam around his apartment.

Then one night, at a gay bar, Bekim meets a talking cat, who also moves in with him. It is this witty, charming, manipulative creature who starts Bekim on a journey back to Kosovo to confront his demons and make sense of the magical, cruel, incredible history of his family. And this, in turn, enables Bekim finally to open himself to true love - which he will find in the most unexpected place.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. What are your first impressions of Bekim and Emine, the two main characters in the novel? How does learning that they are mother and son change how you see them? In what ways do their lives mirror one another? In what ways are they very different?
2. Why do you think the author chose the title, My Cat Yugoslavia? Consider the roles of the several cats that appear in the novel, as well as how the dissolution of Yugoslavia impacts the characters. Consider also Bekim's belief that "that a name can cause more bad than good" (p. 57). What role do names play in the novel?
3. Compare and contrast Bekim's experiences as a gay man with Emine's experiences as a woman, as an Albanian, as a Muslim, and as a first generation immigrant. How ...