Book Summary and Reviews of Poets Square by Courtney Gustafson

Book Summary

An intimate memoir about the importance of community and care in a world that can feel impossibly broken - and a story about accidentally going viral while tending to a colony of feral cats.

When Courtney Gustafson moved into a rental house in the Poets Square neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, she didn't know that the property came with thirty feral cats. Focused only on her own survival—in a new relationship, during a pandemic, with poor mental health and a job that didn't pay enough—Courtney was reluctant to spend any of her own time or money caring for the wayward animals.

But the cats—their pleading eyes, their ribs showing, the new kittens born in the driveway—didn't give her a choice.

She had no idea about the grief and hardship of animal rescue, the staggering size of the problem in neighborhoods across the country. And she couldn't have imagined how that struggle—toward an ethics of care, of individuals trying their best amid spectacularly failing systems—would help pierce a personal darkness she'd wrestled with for much of her life. She also didn't expect that the TikTok and Instagram accounts she created to share the quirky personalities of the wild but lovable cats, like Monkey, Goldie, Francois, and Sad Boy, would end up saving her home.

Courtney writes toward a vision of connectedness—from the dark alleys where she feeds feral cats, from inside the tragically neglected homes where she climbs over piles of trash and occasionally animals, from her own driveway with the cats she loves and must sometimes let go. Compelling and tender, Poets Square is as much about cats as it is about the urgency of care, community, and a little bit of dumb hope.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How does Courtney's initial reluctance to care for the feral cats mirror her struggles with her own mental health and the challenges she faces in life?
2. What role do the cats play in Courtney's journey of personal growth? In what ways do they act as symbols of vulnerability and resilience?
3. How does the memoir address the concept of community, both in the context of Poets Square and in the broader online world? How has Courtney's connection to others evolved through her rescue work?
4. In what ways does the book explore the balance between self-care and caring for others, particularly in the midst of Courtney's personal hardships?
5. How does the feral cat colony reflect the broader societal issues of neglect and ...