Book Review
Tatianna—Tales and Teachings of My Feline Friend
Linda A. Mohr
Reviewed by Palm Beach Gardens-Jupiter Book Club
October 14, 2008

Tatianna is an intimate sharing of a journey filled with human challenges and the growth and development that result. You were so generous in sharing your reflections and revealing your own evolving emotions and development. We realized the great richness of resources and reassurances that can be found, even during a time of grief. The unexpected people who stand as resources and the unconditional love of our pets came alive with your personal experience. Each chapter was a complete essay within itself but woven together so that the patterns and continuous cycles we recognize in our lives were naturally developed. Thank you for your generous and personal sharing, your ease of language that will appeal to any reader at any age, and the perseverance it took to produce a book that can spark the assurance that an abundance of unconditional love is available right at home with our pets.

Tatianna Book Review
Marisa D'Vari
Building Buzz: How to Reach and Impress Your Target Audience
March 22, 2008

Cat Book Review: Tatianna, by Linda Mohr

“I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another!” Irving Townsend

 Linda Mohr, author of the touching and emotional book Tatianna: Tales and Teaching of My Female Friend, offers many poignant quotes such the one singled out above to show how humans and cats have bonded so intimately over the centuries.

You have probably seen pictures of Egyptian tombs and have expressed surprise to see how many statues of cats are found in them. Cats were given special status in Egyptian society and even worshipped. Americans today spend over sixty million dollars a year on their cats according to the latest statistics, but unlike the Egyptians, keep their “worship” of their feline friends to themselves.

Americans have also divided themselves into cat people and dog people – with some families having a few of each – but there are significant differences between the two. Cat people have an intense emotional relationship with their cats. Because cats (at least, most cats) do not take instruction, much of the communication between cats and humans is intuitive. Humans seem to instinctively know what their cats want. Cats are also keenly aware of their human’s emotions, and depending on the nature and personality of the cat, will either try to “be good and provide comfort when needed,” or will ignore the human and make the human grow needier and more dependent.

Dogs, from what I can glimmer, listen. They do as they are told. Few dogs that I am aware of take pleasure in teasing and testing their human as does the occasional (or typical?) cat. Though many dog people have intense relationships with their pet, the master/servant role is clear cut. Between cats and humans, one is never sure who is the boss (from my experience, it’s usually the cat though some smart cats know it is in their best interest to act otherwise).

Which brings me to the review of Linda Mohr’s book. If you are reading this review you likely have a cat and already know the joys and pleasures of being able to enjoy unconditional love with your chosen creature – or the creature who has chosen you! Tatianna came into Mohr’s life when she was thirty-five and sparked what would be even more happy events. Soon a man named Ken came into Mohr’s life, a delightful-sounding man who left cute notes under the windshield of her car in the mornings. When Ken was briefly injured in a motorcycle accident, it was Tatianna who helped Mohr keep everything together.

Tatianna, Tales and Teachings of My Feline Friend
Linda A. Mohr
iUniverse, 2007
Hardcover, 111 pages, illustrated with photographs, $23.95
Also available in paperback, $13.95
Reviewed by Rita M. Reynolds for LaJoie, The Journal in Appreciation of All Animals
Winter 2008

A quarterly publication dedicated to promoting appreciation for all beings through education, adoption/sponsorship and inter-support programs.

Not too often does a book centered around one specific animal have such a positive impact on the reader as does Tatianna, Tales and Teaching of My Feline Friend, by Linda A. Mohr. Nor do many memoirs radiate the intense compassion for not just that one creature, but for all life. The author clearly carries her respect and love for her cat, Tatianna, into all she does, all she believes in.  As a writer, speaker, and educator, this could not be more important.

Linda Mohr has loved animals for a very long time, sharing her home with the lovely Tatianna and many other cats:  Noelle, Taittinger, Marnie, and Katarina. And Linda’s talents are many. As professor at Northwood University’s West Palm Beach (FL) campus, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri, a Masters of Business Administration degree, and a Masters of Science degree from Purdue University.

Tatianna carries us on a profound journey—one that contains all the best ingredients for learning, laughing, grieving, and growing through everything that makes us better people. In our reading of this delightful book we not only befriend Linda and her beloved Tatianna, but bring from the experience an enhanced understanding of love and respect for all others. And that is just one aspect of this particular volume that makes it so special.

The excellent writing takes the reader through all the emotions associated with animal care-giving, yes even the ‘Saying Good-bye’ part. And while one might easily say, “no, thank you, that’s too painful for me,” please trust that the beautiful overall story of such an extraordinary being is well worth keeping the box of tissues close by. Death is, after all, an essential part of life. Linda offers us a perfect view into life beyond death, and how animals will communicate their new wellness to us after they have left their body. In this regard alone (among so many others) one cannot help but come away grateful for knowing both the author and Tatianna.

And be assured there is much in this book that will make you smile and laugh aloud. Linda writes: “Tatianna was a bundle of lightheartedness from the minute I got up in the morning until I retired in the evening. A joyous aura of adventure surrounded her, and I could not help but smile just looking at her. Her companionship soothed me in my time of need. She was like an ointment of love, providing me with comfort and solace. Even as a kitten she could intuit exactly what I needed to uplift my spirit…”  Those who know cats well will feel as if they have met a kindred spirit in Linda Mohr.

Tatianna is a grand book, well written, beautifully designed. It is comfortable to hold in the hands, and the print and page size is kind to the eyes. Available in both hardcover and paperback, it is easy to keep a copy in one’s personal collection and give at least one as a gift. It is, without question, a book that should be in every animal appreciator’s library. Even the die-hard dog lover will find great joy in reading Tatianna.

Tatianna: Tales and Teachings of My Feline Friend
Linda A. Mohr
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595426775
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (1/08)

Pet lovers will love this poignantly told story of Tatianna as written by Linda A. Mohr. It is the story of a sixteen-year journey, of bonding, and of the healing experienced by Linda from Tatianna in a time of grief. Later Linda became Tatianna’s caregiver and lifeline during her extended illness.

After the loss of her fiancé, Ken, in a motorcycle accident, Linda explained Tatianna’s help this way. “Although I had lost a physical life with Ken the devoted love, tenderness, and companionship of Tatinanna sustained me.”

Linda’s doting descriptions of Tatianna included phrases like: “She provided companionship in solitude, was mischievous, rambunctious, and curious. She was friendly, but aggressive, social, adventurous, and she loved unconditionally. She was devoted, protective, and amusing.”

I found the quotations at the beginning of each chapter as well as Linda’s original poems, affirmations, and positive reinforcements to be both inspirational and thought-provoking. Linda’s personal and firm conviction of God's working through these experiences on a daily basis came through in her writing.

In her Christmas letter in 2000 Linda wrote, “On the furry front, Tatinanna is now over fifteen-years-old, and she has been miraculously battling kidney disease for the past two and one-half years. We continue her daily therapy and affirmations. You would never know she was ill by looking at her.”

Linda’s detailed accounts of the treatments, therapy, prescriptions, affirmations, and acupuncture are of tremendous value to any pet owner going through similar disease processes with their pets. Tatianna’s Circle of Life Gallery highlights the pages of the book and adds a unique appeal to her story. I found myself enjoying the pictures many times, as well as frequently referring to the very unique presentation of an illustrated timeline provided as a part of the preface to the book.

Linda's descriptions of her elaborate Christmas trees with their unique ornaments, and her astounding collection of antiques will add interior decorators, and antique dealers, to her list of eager readers, which include pet owners, pet store operators, and veterinarians.

The chronicles of Tatianna, her feline friends, and her biographer Linda A. Mohr is a heartwarming story of an amazing, loving, spiritual bonding relationship of a pet and her owner. Linda A. Mohr is a gifted writer. “Tatianna: Tales and Teachings of My Feline Friend” is one of endurance, bravery, strength, faith, and love. Simply beautiful.