The Cat's Table    by Michael Ondaatje Order:  USA  Can Vintage, 2012 (2011) Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens An eleven-year-old boy, Michael, travels from his home in India to London to meet his mother, whom he has not seen in several years. The ship Oronsay will be his home for three weeks, but the experience will have a lifelong effect. Seeing shipboard life through Michael's and his two young friends' eyes gives a wonderful perspective on the ship, its personnel, and its truly interesting passengers in the various classes. The boys defy all attempts at any kind of boundaries, and so learn lots about the adults around them, some of which they can really only understand later. Ondaatje's coming-of-age tale resonates beyond the voyage on into Michael's adulthood. The strangers he meets both tantalize and repel him, but it will be many years later until he can say why. It is this combination of present incidents connected with future knowledge and experience that is so compelling in this work. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews