The Cat’s Table, the new novel by Michael Ondaatje, is the semi-autobiographical novel of an 11 year old boy’s journey from Colombo to England aboard the ship Oronsay. Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka, took a similar voyage alone as a boy, later became a writer and now lives in Canada. All these things are true of the Michael in the novel. However, all the wonderful characters who the boy meets at the cat’s table (the table farthest from the captain’s) are entirely ficticious.

Michael Ondaatje is one of my favorite writers. I was so disappointed with his last novel, Divisadero, that I almost gave up reading him, but I am glad I didn’t. The Cat’s Table is a wonderful novel. Full of the adventure of journeying from East to West, the journey as experienced through the freedom that exists only in childhood.

The novel is eloquently written and full of wonderful characters and stories woven together as only a master storyteller can do. I loved this book. Highly recommended.