This deceptively simple narrative dextrously weaves a tale of survival and renewal around an introduction to meditation and a conversation with a cat (or feline zen master). I have to admit this last aspect made me a little wary as I started to read; I'm neither a cat lover nor a fan of literary anthropomorphic cuteness (at least not in adult books). However, what Kat Tansey achieves through this device is to seamlessly embed a discourse on meditative practice within her personal chronicle; to underscore the intense loneliness of the depressive with almost zero human interaction; and to create two likeable, entirely "human" characters who add depth, not cutesiness, to her journey.
This account takes us through (the aptly named) Kat's passage from high flying career woman to debilitated chronic fatigue syndrome sufferer and depressive. Her suicidal thoughts are presented without drama and the painful monotony of mental and emotional struggle without self-pity. Equally, her heroic and painful steps back to wellness are depicted with self-deprecating and often humorous honesty and the revelatory "conversations" with Poohbear come across as unaffected and authentic.
Choosing To Be (a clever title, evoking Hamlet's soliloquy as well as the Buddha's teachings) is structured around the "lessons" of meditation under the technical headings of Ordinary Mind, The Hindrances and Buddha Mind, which make it an easy-to-follow and inspirational guide book. The fact that Tansey has also written an absorbing memoir with the flair of a fiction writer, however, draws you effortlessly through her story and makes the learning seem incidental - until you reach the end and realise that the tale of a woman, a cat and a kitten has reminded you that there is a better way to live, and how to do it
Review by Lucy
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