A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen - Book Review

Have you ever read a book you loved so much that you feel even a glowing book review won't do it any justice? Well, that's what 'A Street Cat Named Bob,' was for me.

I found the book in this quirky little bookstore nestled in Kalk Bay, Cape Town and although I could barely afford to scrape enough together for dinner that night, I just couldn't leave the store without it.

I'll admit, at first I thought it was hilarious. Over the years I have managed to adopt the nickname, Crazy Cat Lady, among my friends... so when I laid eyes on this book in the store I had to laugh and take a photo of it for my friends. I knew they would find it funny. 

But after snapping a quick picture, curiosity got the better of me and I picked the book up to read the blurb on the back:

"When James Bowen found an injured, ginger street cat curled up in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation, he had no idea just how much his life was about to change. James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London and the last thing he needed was a pet.

Yet James couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent tom cat, whom he quickly christened Bob. He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining he would never see him again. But Bob had other ideas.

Soon the two were inseparable and their diverse, comic and occasionally dangerous adventures would transform both their lives, slowly healing the scars of each other's troubled pasts.

A Street Cat Named Bob is a moving and uplifting story that will touch the heart of anyone who reads it."

Needless to say, after that I was hooked! 
It is an absolutely gorgeous true story about a busking, heroine addict living on the streets of London. While struggling to beat his addiction, he stumbles upon a seemingly homeless ginger tom cat.  Little does he know that this friendly feline is about to turn his life around. 

This book is so heartwarming and emotionally touching. It is filled with hope and love! It's a story about angel's, blessings and guidance in the most realistic way possible. What I love most about this book is that it isn't written over-dramatically. It is believable and enjoyable to the point where you really can't put it down. I read the entire thing back to front within two days and was absolutely gutted when it came to an end - only because I didn't want it to! So for all the bad that is in this book, like it being quite repetitive, it really would be your loss if you chose not to read it because of the negative aspects it contains. 

I know that this book is based in London - but being put into the shoes of a homeless person for the duration of the read was really eye-opening for someone living in South Africa. Seeing things from their perspective is hard to take in but it is so important to understand it too 

It is so true that people perceive homeless people (or as we call them, 'hobo's), drug addicts and beggars differently. Very often we don't give them a chance and reading this completely changed my view on how to handle it when approached by someone on the streets again. As the author says, he could have been asking someone for the time but the second they see his appearance they shoo him off and won't give him the time of day. It really pulled at my heartstrings. 

One thing that this book reinforced for me was just how clever and incredible cats are... or any animal really. They choose people, you don't choose them - and that was exactly what happened in this book. 

Animals make the world a better place and they make our lives complete too. They are the best companions you could ever ask for and one thing this book really encourages is for you to just appreciate your furry friends.  

I was smiling the ENTIRE way through this book. It was such a feel-good read and to top it off, it had such a happy ending.