"Bernie keeps a barn full of animals the rest of the world has no use for-two retired sulky horses, an overly enthusiastic rooster, some banty hens, and a Muscovy duck with clipped wings called the Lady. The Lady is pretty much the Law, and so, when the tough-looking cat who calls himself Whittington shows up one day, it is to the Lady that he makes an appeal to secure a place in the barn. This is the earthy story of Bernie's barn, not without its life-and-death dramas. It is the story of Bernie's grandson, Ben, who is reading below grade level and struggles with lessons from his sister, Abby, every day in the barn. And it is the rousing and exotic tale the cat, Whittington, tells as balm for Ben after the grueling lessons-the adventures of Dick Whittington, who once made his fortune because of a nameless cat. Masterfully interwoven, these threads become a novel about the healing, transcendent power of storytelling and how, if you have loved ones surrounding you and good stories to tell, to listen to, and to read, you have just about everything of true value in this world."-- back cover.