Devorah is an alternate spelling of Deborah, and is the Hebrew word for “bee.” Devorah the kitten was so named because her purr had a buzzing sound. Abraham adopted her in 1899. She was approximately six weeks old on December 14, 1899.

• Immortal Gifts
• The Kitten

In between drafts 1 and 2 of the book, I found a kitten and named her after Devorah in the book. The kitten was rewritten to resemble the foundling.