Of Cats and Kings by De Vries, Clare - 2002

New York, New York, U. S. A.: Bloomsbury Pub Plc USA. New with no dust jacket. 2002. First American Edition. Softcover. Fed up with looking for the perfect man, Clare de Vries sets off with a more achievable goal in mind - to find the perfect cat. In the sequal to I & Claudius - Clare de Vries' journey across the USA with her beloved brown Burmese - our heroine travels through Burma and Thailand in search of a replacement for her dearly departed Claudius. Veering from nasty dives to luxurious spas and dodging lecherous cat breeders and ruthless elephant traders, Clare learns the basic tenets of Buddhism, receives a liberal dousing at the annual Thingyan celebrations, and learns the history of the precious Siamese/Burmese cats and the royals who nurtured them. She comes up against a monastery of jumping cats in Inle, and a profusion of nats at Mount Popa, but it isn't until she arrives at a remote temple in Thailand that she discovers what she's been seeking: The perfect kittens. All she has to do is give a donation to the monk who owns them - or so she thinks. If you've ever fallen under a cat's spell, you'll love this book. 305 pages. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. .