Clare de Vries dreamed of chucking in her job and Thelma and Louise-ing it around the United States. Which is exactly what she did. Except that Louise was her nineteen-year-old chocolate brown Burmese cat Claudius.
It was an unpredictable road trip. From celebrity pet hair stylists in New York to brown bears in the Appalachians, from astronauts in Nashville to Elvis's shag ceiling in Graceland to voodoo snakes in New Orleans, the unlikely couple just about kept their Guccis intact and even learnt to read a map.
That was before riding with psychic cowboys in Texas, losing vital body parts in the Grand Canyon, gambling with hoods in Vegas and spilling drinks over film stars in Hollywood. A surreal mix of Amelia Earhart and Betty Blue, Clare learned to let go of the past and of the future. A compelling concoction of the Sphinx and Elsa the Lioness, Claudius learnt to love Kentucky Fried Chicken and to snore at speeds of 90mph.
This is a book about an intrepid young woman in pursuit of a dream and the insane love she feels for her remarkable cat. It is a bold and hilarious adventure and it will enchant armchair travellers and cat-lovers as well as those who wish they could do the same.
