The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas: How a Cat Brought a Family the Gift of Love
Non-Fiction/Autism
Plume (September 25, 2012)
Published by The Penguin Group
Trade Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0452298781
George was a handful at first, crying for hours on end, never sleeping. Julia tried everything to please her son. He then grew to be withdrawn and quiet, in his own little world. George was finally diagnosed as autistic and even with a diagnosis things didn’t get any easier. Until one day a small black and white stray cat appeared in their garden and George’s face just lit up. He named the kitty Ben and George started to open up to his mother. He was like a different little boy. Until one day when Ben disappeared.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was a very heartwarming story. Animals can have a profound effect in people no matter what they may be facing.
As a mom with several cats in residence this is very clear to me and when one disappears it can break your heart. This happened to at our house twice this year. Back in the summer heat my cat Sherlock got outside and was missing for about a week. When he came back he was very sick and dehydrated. That was when we were receiving record high temperatures. Today he still has little wombles but he is back at my side every day. I missed him so much.
Then about 6 weeks ago my daughter’s cat Watson went out exploring. He did this a lot and was always waiting on the porch the next morning. But not this time. He has still not come home and we have posted notices, call the vets in the area and the humane society’s and posted online at missing pet sites. Last week we were sent a picture on Facebook and we were sure it was our Watson. My daughter rushed to pick him up. When she arrived she knew it wasn’t him but the people didn’t want this cat so she bought him home. She calls him Watson 2.0. He has not taken Watson’s place but he has healed her heart a bit. After reading this story I am still holding out hope the our Watson will make his way home to us. What better time than Christmas.
Julia goes way beyond anything we did. She never gave up and answered every call and kept searching. My only question I had was how George blamed his mother totally for Ben’s disappearance when the cat was in his father’s care at the time. His father was not a constant figure in his life so maybe he didn’t feel he could last out at him the same way as his mom. There is still so much we don’t know about autism but Julia gives us an inside look.
Looking for a stocking stuffer for cat lover, this book would make a great gift. You might want to include a small box of tissues.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”