A review of Nala’s World by Dean Nicholson

A wonderful book from start to finish….

For some reason, Nala’s World: One Man, His Rescue Cat, and a Bike Ride around the Globe by Dean Nicholson popped up in my recommendation feed at Kindle US a few weeks ago.  I have no idea why, since this is pretty far from anything I normally read.   Somehow, though, both the cover and the concept caught my fancy, enough that I tried the sample and liked it.  So I bought it – it was on sale at the time, after all, so I figured I wasn’t risking much.  But then I surprised myself by racing through it in two evenings, staying up far too late both nights.    

I’m not much of a social media person (my own blog aside, of course ?), so I must be one of the few people to read Dean’s book who didn’t already know who Dean and Nala were, which probably heightened my enjoyment of the story a bit.   I really didn’t know what had happened or how any of this was going to come out – neither the scary moments, like smuggling Nala not just into Montenegro, but then into Albania.  Nor the good moments, like when Nala enchants the policeman in Greece. And along the way, it was great to watch Dean grow up a bit, as he accepts the idea that he’s not just “1bike1world” anymore, but “now one man and his cat”.   And then grow up a lot, as he figures out how to handle his new internet celebrity.

I think my enjoyment was also heightened by the fact that I had, many years ago, a cat much like Nala, very outgoing and friendly, and so I could picture my own Spaghetti doing many of the same things that Nala did.   But I don’t think you have to have a cat, or even be a cat lover, to like this book.  Dean and his co-author, Garry Jenkins, just have a really nice story-telling style that will draw almost anyone in.   Without indulging in cheap cliff-hangers, they still manage to leave you wanting to read the next chapter, and then the next, and the next.  Nala’s World flew by, and left me wishing it were (much) longer.  Hopefully there will be another book coming soon.   In the meantime, I may have to join Instagram, just so I can follow one account!    And maybe also head over to the Charities link at Dean’s website, and donate to one or two.

Oh, and definitely don’t miss the pictures at the end of the book…

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