The Cat's Table

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A spellbinding story about the magical and often forbidden discoveries of childhood unfolds during an unexpected sea voyage in the early 1950s. An eleven-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship to England, seated at the "cat's table" with a motley group of "insignificant" adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As they journey across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, and into the Mediterranean, the boys embark on a series of adventures, bursting with energy and curiosity. They engage with diverse characters: one shares insights on jazz and women, another introduces them to literature. The boy's captivating cousin Emily becomes a confidante, helping him see himself "with a distant eye" and experience the first stirrings of desire. Another intriguing figure, the enigmatic Miss Lasqueti, hints at deeper mysteries. Late at night, the boys spy on a shackled prisoner, whose crime and fate become a haunting enigma. The narrative weaves between the ship's decks and the boy's adult years, creating a poignant and electrifying tale of childhood's magical discoveries and the lifelong journey that begins with this extraordinary voyage.