A Dance for Emilia
Sam and Jacob have been best friends for over forty years. In high  school they shared a dream of success in the arts--Sam as a dancer and Jacob as  an actor. Sam had to give up his dream; Jacob found some success in theater. His  muse led him to California, while Sam remained in New York. Despite the  distance, they have only grown closer. They figure they'll be best friends in  old age.But Sam dies unexpectedly. His devastated friend travels back east for the  funeral and meets Emilia, Sam's last and greatest love, who inherited Sam's  Abyssinian cat, Millamant. United in grief, Jacob and Emilia begin exchanging  mail, exchanging memories of Sam. The power of their grief draws Sam back to  them--into Millamant's body.It's a delicate subject. Fantasy, like SF, traditionally deals with subjects by  literalizing metaphors; but if you believe this approach is inappropriate for  loss, thenA Dance for Emiliais probably not the book for you. However,  Peter S. Beagle handles the subject as sensitively and skillfully as possible,  writing with intelligence, compassion, and fine prose about grief, obsession,  and the importance of letting go.--Cynthia Ward