Plume and Edelweiss allowed me to download an ebook of this story for review (thank you). It will be published September 25th, so make a note on your TBR list.
Julia is a single mother raising her son, George. George has been unusual since birth and no one has really been able to reach him. It takes years before he's even diagnosed as autistic. He doesn't communicate well, he's never expressed love to anyone, and he's almost a unit within himself. He'd prefer everyone just leave him alone. Unfortunately, there are things like school, people and family that would like to have a relationship with him. He's not cooperating.
Julie has always rescued animals but when she finds an ugly feral cat in her garden, she's not sure she will able to capture her. She looks like she's ready to have kittens, is missing most of the hair on her butt, and she's very very skittish. By bribing her with food, she finally captures her in the carrier and takes her to the vet for treatment.
The first surprise is that "she" is a "he". He has a tumor that must be removed. The next surprise is that when she and George go to visit the cat after treatment, George talks to the cat! Mom and son develop a "cat talk" voice and George finally begins speaking to her. He talks to the cat more, but he's becoming more open. He's even talking about love.
Life goes on, Ben (the cat) fits in the family well and is a comfort to both Mom and son. When Julie has a chance to take George on a vacation, she jumps at the opportunity. They aren't there for more than a few days when she gets a call and Ben is missing...
Julia searches, George regresses and it looks like it's going to be a heartless Christmas. She finally locates him...
Whether you like cats or not, this is a tale of a family struggling to survive that developed a better life by finding the right pet for them. Animals work with children of all types with various illnesses. It's impressive and wonderful.
The story of Julia's life has its ups and downs, but she leaves you with hope at the end of this book. Why not follow Julia's journey and see how a small animal can become a miracle to a child.
Happy reading.
1 comment:
This book definitely touches my heart as the aunt of a child whom is autistic. There is a special bond between children under the spectrum including autism and adhd and more, with animals. They have a special connection with them, and I love watching them with animals, babies and such.
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