Book Summary and Reviews of Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero

Book Summary

A stray cat brings together five strangers over the course of one fateful summer in this heartwarming novel about love, found family, and the power of connection.

Núria, a single-by-choice barista with a resentment for the "crazy cat lady" label, is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of the neighborhood's stray cats. On one of her volunteering days, she starts finding Post-It notes from a secret admirer at the spot where her favorite stray lives—a black cat named Cat. Like most cats, he is rather curious and sly, so of course he knows who the notes are from. Núria, however, is clueless.

Are the notes from Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit with a weakness for good coffee? Are they from Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half-sister? Are they from Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early mid-life crisis? Or are they from Bong, the grieving widower who owns Núria's favorite bodega? When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers find themselves bonded in their desire to care for him and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they've been searching for.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Cat is a fixture of his community, bringing people together. Which of Cat's many connections do you think he played the biggest part in?
2. In Cat's People many of the characters are experiencing personal conflicts: Bong is mourning the loss of his wife, Collin is fighting writer's block and a demanding publisher, and Núria is dealing with pressure from her mother to settle down. How does Cat manage to help these and other characters with their issues?
3. In the book, the perspective changes from character to character. Which character did you identify with the most?
4. Throughout the book, Núria and Collin exchange notes, fueling their connection and deepening their love story. What do these notes reveal about ...