Cat Lady: The hot, must-read Richard & Judy Book Club novel for summer 2023 from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Product Information

A lot of the story was predictable. I felt Dawn got a few digs in...a joke about Boris Johnson, a dig at nasty Journalists who write upsetting stories about people. She also covered most current topics like racism (her boss she works for says some racist things), sustainability etc. There's a brief mention of covid but then next minute she's in a hospital environment with filthy hands and no mention of any mask wearing or the fact you still can't really visit people in hospital! Also, I'm surprised that as a mother herself, Dawn writes about Mother's Day being on a weekday as Mia is going to work and the stepson is going to School! It's called Mothering Sunday for a reason Dawn!!

Main character The story is told from the perspective of all four characters, although the main one is Grace, a woman approaching her 90th birthday with the same energy that most approach their 30th. We meet her on a beach, snapping at a patronising do-gooder, and things progress from there. Bestselling author and podcaster Dawn O’Porter confesses she couldn’t have fallen for her husband, Irish actor Chris O’Dowd, had he not been an animal lover. She believes it is possible to love pets more than people. "I think the relationship people have with their pets is so intimate, when something relies on you entirely for survival and you rely on it entirely for all the pleasurable things it gives you, it’s a completely uncomplicated pure exchange of love relationship – and it’s hard to find that with people." Mia is quite put upon at home, especially by her husband’s ex wife. Not something I think a lot of women would endure and I was overjoyed to see Mia handling her own with the woman’s snooty attitude. Tristan, her husband is irritating and very annoying and her high powered boss is ignorant and selfish but someone who also lives a life different to their inner feelings.While her actor husband is recognised a lot, O’Porter, who also has a vintage clothing range with Joanie Clothing, is happy to remain out of the showbiz spotlight. Although my husband was sad, there was no one who felt the same way as me, and therefore I dealt with her death in the way that felt right for me and no one else. I had her freeze-dried, a process where she was dehydrated using extremely cold temperatures over the course of 10 months, preserving her perfectly to look just as she did on the day she died, and now she sits happily, but 100% dead, on a chair in my dining room. See, I told you I was a Cat Lady. An ode to finding your people and a celebration of the small things that bring us together’ Emma Gannon Dawn O'Porter challenges the stereotypes of the typical 'cat lady' with this beautiful and emotional read' Reader review

I'll finish this with one of the quotes that gave me lots of feelings: "The kindness of strangers can get you to the next place you are supposed to be"Would I recommend it? If you're a cat lover then yes, you'll probably relate to it and like it but I wouldn't call it funny. I found a lot of it quite depressing really. It's not a book I would recommend to friends.