Reviewed by Jeanne
Molly the tabby barely remembers her kittenhood except for
the moment of meeting Margery, the kind lady who adopted her. Her life is comfortable: she adores Margery and Margery returns her
love in full measure. Then Margery
begins to have lapses. She puts mashed
potatoes in Molly’s bowl and has trouble recognizing family and friends. The next thing Molly knows is that Margery is
gone and Molly is sent to live in a house with unfriendly dogs. It’s a miserable existence, and the little
cat is determined to find a better home on her own. She runs away, but she’s
unused to life as a street cat: she’s cold, she’s hungry, and she’s in danger
from all sides.
When things seem darkest, she finds Debbie, a struggling
single mother trying to make a life for herself and Sophie, her sullen teenage
daughter. Debbie is trying to run a café, but things are not going well. Debbie may have to close up shop and move
away. Has Molly found a new home just to
lose it all again?
This is a sweet, heart-warming story, narrated by a bright
and sensible little feline who has pluck and love to spare. Her tone rather reminds me of any number of
British characters but for some reason Miss Read is the one I’ve settled on. She’s a gentle but no-nonsense girl who hopes
she can somehow help Debbie solve all her problems. I never bet against the cat in such
circumstances.
There’s a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, and
Anglophiles will enjoy the Cotswold setting.
I was in the mood for a feel-good story and this fit the
bill admirably. I’ll be passing it along
to cat-loving friends as well. A second book in the series, Christmas at the
Cat Café has been published in the U.K.
Melissa’s cat Nancy has her own Facebook page: look for Nancy Harpenden-Cat. Nancy seems a
bit more opinionated than Molly, but is still very entertaining.
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