To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

I always liked Connie Willis, but I had not read this one. This is not like anything of hers that I have read before - it is hysterically funny. After The Domesday Book and Bellwether and Lincoln's Dreams, I didn't expect it - but it was lots of fun.

This is a romp across time and a quest for the Bishop's Bird Stump. Do you know what a bird stump is? Thank goodness for Google! A bird stump is a tree stump with a bird on it - made of porcelain and intended for use as a vase. As for why the Bishop's bird stump is so important - read it yourself. I could never explain it without giving it away.

Although, I must say that I thought the cat was far more important than the dog.