Former Gov. Nathan Deal publishes heartwarming kids’ book honoring wife’s dedication to literacy

ATLANTA — Former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal celebrated the publication of his first children’s book, “Veto, the Governor’s Cat,” on Wednesday.

The book tells the heartwarming adventures of Veto and Bill, two rescue cats who find their forever home in the Governor’s Mansion.

As the story unfolds, the cats navigate their new lives, encountering various challenges and triumphs.

Each chapter brings a new adventure that emphasizes the power of empathy and compassion.

Veto and Bill moved with the Deals from the city to the country after they left office, continuing to bring joy and teach meaningful lessons.

Veto still resides with the Governor today.

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Deal wrote the book as a tribute to his late wife Sandra Deal, who championed literacy and early childhood education throughout her career as a teacher and her tenure as Georgia’s First Lady.

Sandra Deal died in August 2022 after battling breast cancer which eventually metastasized to her brain.

During her time as First Lady, she worked tirelessly to improve literacy across Georgia, visiting schools in all of the state’s 159 counties and 181 school districts to read to students.

Sandra Deal taught in the Hall County School System for 15 years before becoming Georgia’s First Lady.

She was also involved with “Read Across Georgia Month” and partnered with the Get Georgia Reading Campaign, an initiative aimed at bringing students to grade-level reading status by the end of third grade.

The Washington Post praised “Veto, the Governor’s Cat,” saying, “Something about ‘Veto’ got its claws in me. Once I started reading, I didn’t stop until I finished… Deal keeps the plot gentle, his prose simple and concrete… I was reminded of Little Bear stories written by Else Holmelund Minarik… his moral truths come on little cat feet – lessons that children can appreciate about the value of patience, hard work, and kindness.”

The book is available for pre-order now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and everywhere books are sold.

It will be officially available for sale on August 14.

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Hall County to name new elementary school after former first lady of Georgia Sandra Deal Deal died last month at age 80 from breast cancer that metastasized into brain cancer.

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