CLEO - Helen Brown E.

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      Praise for

      Cleo

      “Helen Brown’s remarkable memoir took me on a journey that threatened to break my heart, and right when I thought I couldn’t possibly bear to read another word, I realized that she didn’t break my heart at all—she opened it.”

      —Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

      “Possibly the next Marley & Me, Cleo, by Helen Brown, is an honest and un-mawkish true story of ordinary people rebuilding their lives after a tragedy, with the help of a kitten. Even non cat-lovers will be moved.”

      —Good Housekeeping

      “Heartwarming, fun, and romantic. Marley & Me fans will love it.”

      —Closer

      “This is an absolute must gift for yourself or a cat-loving friend.”

      —Cat World

      “Helen Brown’s Cleo is not just a tender story about a cat and a family facing the world again after a family bereavement. It’s also an epic, genuinely moving, funny, and ultimately, uplifting. Don’t be surprised to find yourself smiling through tears after reading it.”

      —Witi Ihimaera, author of The Whale Rider

      “In the tradition of Marley & Me, this memoir about an impish black kitten teaching a grieving family to love and laugh again is written with warmth and candor.”

      —Who

      “A warm, poignant tale about the sheer force of a cat’s personality and the joy and healing it can bring.”

      —Australian Women’s Weekly

      “A beautifully told story of loss, love, and finally, peace and acceptance.”

      —John Morrow, The Armidale Express

      “Heartwarming and life-affirming—it’s easy to see why it’s been on the Australian and New Zealand bestsellers list since it was published.”

      —Kerre Woodham

      “To say that gifts of inspiration, hope, and pure love emanate out of every page would be an understatement.”

      —Leukaemia Foundation

      “A heartwarming, tear-stained ride told with great charm and humor.”

      —Jillian Devon, North & South

      Books by Helen Brown

      Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family

      Cats & Daughters: They Don’t Always Come

      When Called

      Tumbledown Manor: A Novel

      Bono: The Amazing Story of a Rescue Cat

      Who Inspired a Community

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      To those who say

       they aren’t cat people

       but deep down

       know they are.

      Contents

      Choice

      A Name

      Loss

      The Intruder

      Trust

      Awakening

      Taming the Beast

      Healer

      Goddess

      Resuscitation

      Compassion

      Huntress

      Letting Go

      Observer

      Indulgence

      Replacement

      Rebirth

      Risk

      Resilience

      Openness

      The Kiss

      Exposure

      Respect

      People and Places

      Freedom

      Witch’s Cat

      Absence

      Patience

      Missing

      Purr Power

      Connection

      Forgiveness

      Conversion

      Tough Vet, Soft Vet

      Renewal

      Acknowledgments

      KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      119 West 40th Street

      New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2009 Helen Brown

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

      This is an American edition of the hardcover published in Great Britain by Hodder & Stoughton.

      If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “un-sold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

      All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are avail-able at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use. Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington sales manager: Kensington Pub-lishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018, attn: Sales Department; phone 1-800-221-2647.

      KENSINGTON BOOKS and the K logo are Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-2734-3

      ISBN-10: 1-4967-2734-7

      First Citadel trade paperback printing: September 2010

      First Kensington premium mass market printing: May 2018

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

      Printed in the United States of America

      Electronic edition:

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-2757-2 (e-book)

      ISBN-10: 1-4967-2757-6 (e-book)

Cleo

      Choice

      A cat chooses its owner, not the other way around.

      “We’re not getting a kitten,” I said, negotiating our station wagon around a bend the shape of a pretzel. “We’re just going to look at them.”

      The road to Lena’s house was complicated by its undulations, not to mention the steepness. It snaked over what would qualify as mountains in most parts of the world. There wasn’t much beyond Lena’s house except a few sheep farms and a stony beach.

      “You said we could get a kitten,” Sam whined from the backseat before turning to his younger brother for support. “Didn’t she?”

      The backseat was usually the boys’ battleground. Between two brothers aged nearly nine and six the dynamic was predictable. Sam would set Rob up with a surreptitious jab that would be rewarded with a kick, demanding retaliation with a thump, escalating into recriminations and tears—“He punched me!” “That’s ’cos he pinched me first.” But this time they were on the same

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