CLEO: The Cat Who Mended a Family
by Helen Brown
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The Beloved #1 International BestsellerTenth Anniversary Edition
"We're just going to look." Helen Brown had no intention of adopting a pet when she brought her young sons to visit a friend's new kittens. But the runt of the litter was irresistible, with her overlarge ears and dainty chin.
When Cleo was delivered weeks later, she had no way of knowing that her new family had just been hit by an unthinkable tragedy. Helen was sure she couldn't keep her—until she saw something she thought show more had vanished from earth forever: her son's smile. The reckless, rambunctious kitten stayed.
Through happiness and heartbreak, changes and new beginnings, Cleo was the glue that affectionately held Helen's family together. Rich in wisdom, wit, heart, and healing, here is the story of a cat with an extraordinary gift for knowing just where she was needed most.
With a New Afterword by the Author
"A remarkable memoir . . . Helen Brown opened my heart."
—Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author
"An absolute must."
—Cat World
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Katzen sind geheimnisvoll. In ihnen geht mehr vor als wir gewahr werden. Das wusste schon der ehrenwerte Sir Walter Scott vor mehr als 200 Jahren.
Auch Helen Brown, eigentlich eher ein Hundemensch, macht diese Erfahrung. Und nicht nur diese dank ihres widerstrebend aufgenommenen neuen Familienmitglieds: Cleo, eine kleine, schwarze aber dennoch sehr aristokratische Katze. Sam, ihr ältester Sohn, hatte sich das kleine struppige Fellbündel ausgesucht und starb kurz darauf mit neun Jahren bei einem Autounfall. Die Familie versinkt in bodenlosem Schwermut, nichts scheint die Finsternis erhellen zu können in der sie nun ihr trauriges Leben verbringt. Doch Cleo gelingt es bei ihrer Ankunft, Rob, dem kleinen Bruder von Sam, endlich wieder show more ein Lächeln in sein Gesicht zu zaubern. Im Sturm erobert sie die Herzen aller und lehrt die Familie das Leben wieder zu lieben, trotz (oder vielleicht gerade wegen) all der Schicksalsschläge die noch kommen.
Na super, noch so ein rührseliges Familienepos mit Katzenanhang, mag nun manche/r denken. Doch weit gefehlt, wenn auch Familie mit Katze durchaus zutreffend sein mag. Aber von rührselig keine Spur! Trotz der allüberwältigenden Trauer, die nach diesem Todesfall alle Angehörigen beherrscht, gelingt es der Autorin ihre Selbstironie zu bewahren und diese entsprechend schriftlich festzuhalten. So lesen sich die 379 Seiten ungeachtet der Schwere des Themas unerwartet leicht. Helen Brown gelingt ein wahrer Balanceakt: Den Tod eines Kindes und den damit verbundenen Schmerz ernsthaft, aber dennoch mit heiteren Aspekten zu erzählen, ohne jedoch damit etwas ins Lächerliche zu ziehen. Überzeugend schildert sie ihre Erkenntnis (dank Cleo!), dass die Trauer um einen geliebten Menschen nicht bedeuten muss, auf Freude im Leben zu verzichten. Und dass nichts wichtiger ist wie das Leben im Hier und Jetzt - es zu leben und zu genießen!
Ein wundervolles Buch, zum Lachen und Weinen. show less
Auch Helen Brown, eigentlich eher ein Hundemensch, macht diese Erfahrung. Und nicht nur diese dank ihres widerstrebend aufgenommenen neuen Familienmitglieds: Cleo, eine kleine, schwarze aber dennoch sehr aristokratische Katze. Sam, ihr ältester Sohn, hatte sich das kleine struppige Fellbündel ausgesucht und starb kurz darauf mit neun Jahren bei einem Autounfall. Die Familie versinkt in bodenlosem Schwermut, nichts scheint die Finsternis erhellen zu können in der sie nun ihr trauriges Leben verbringt. Doch Cleo gelingt es bei ihrer Ankunft, Rob, dem kleinen Bruder von Sam, endlich wieder show more ein Lächeln in sein Gesicht zu zaubern. Im Sturm erobert sie die Herzen aller und lehrt die Familie das Leben wieder zu lieben, trotz (oder vielleicht gerade wegen) all der Schicksalsschläge die noch kommen.
Na super, noch so ein rührseliges Familienepos mit Katzenanhang, mag nun manche/r denken. Doch weit gefehlt, wenn auch Familie mit Katze durchaus zutreffend sein mag. Aber von rührselig keine Spur! Trotz der allüberwältigenden Trauer, die nach diesem Todesfall alle Angehörigen beherrscht, gelingt es der Autorin ihre Selbstironie zu bewahren und diese entsprechend schriftlich festzuhalten. So lesen sich die 379 Seiten ungeachtet der Schwere des Themas unerwartet leicht. Helen Brown gelingt ein wahrer Balanceakt: Den Tod eines Kindes und den damit verbundenen Schmerz ernsthaft, aber dennoch mit heiteren Aspekten zu erzählen, ohne jedoch damit etwas ins Lächerliche zu ziehen. Überzeugend schildert sie ihre Erkenntnis (dank Cleo!), dass die Trauer um einen geliebten Menschen nicht bedeuten muss, auf Freude im Leben zu verzichten. Und dass nichts wichtiger ist wie das Leben im Hier und Jetzt - es zu leben und zu genießen!
Ein wundervolles Buch, zum Lachen und Weinen. show less
Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family by Helen Brown
292 pages
★★★★★ ♥
On January 21, 1983 a tragedy would occur to Helen Brown and her family – her 9 year old son would be killed when he was run over by a car. A couple weeks later Cleo, a rambunctious little kitten would enter their world and change it for the better. She would be there to comfort them through the death of Sam. She would also be there to witness divorces, more kids, marriage, and much more.
This book was suggested to me by my therapist. I have two things in common with this woman – I lost my son (given, in a very different matter but the loss of a child is…the loss of a child) and have my cat who has been a great relief to me through this year (I actually show more have two cats but only one likes to acknowledge my existence without the assistance of food being involved). The day I went into labor, it as was if my cat knew something was wrong before I did. He laid his paw gently on stomach and wouldn’t leave my side but would never lay on me as I was in terrible pain. After coming home from the hospital, he stuck by my side and 10 months later continues to be a great source of comfort.
I really enjoyed and appreciated this book so much. What this woman writes was soothing to me because it was nice to know someone felt the anger and the sadness I felt. She writes wonderfully. She is descriptive and honest from beginning to end. I have read complaints from people who felt the cat, Cleo, wasn’t as much as a focus as they had wanted and I can see that. But for me, it was about so much more. It’s about finding the beauty and joy in the little things. It’s about resilience and courage to move on with life. It’s about showing emotions and having hope. It’s about a cat and her love for her family. People are regularly telling me I should stay away from these books – that I should read happy, upbeat stories. But it is these books that help me the most because for those 300 pages I’m with someone who understands and isn’t that what anyone wants? To be understood? If you’re a cat lover, I think you will enjoy this book but be prepared that it’s more than just a story about a cat. And you might want a tissue or two while you’re at it. show less
292 pages
★★★★★ ♥
On January 21, 1983 a tragedy would occur to Helen Brown and her family – her 9 year old son would be killed when he was run over by a car. A couple weeks later Cleo, a rambunctious little kitten would enter their world and change it for the better. She would be there to comfort them through the death of Sam. She would also be there to witness divorces, more kids, marriage, and much more.
This book was suggested to me by my therapist. I have two things in common with this woman – I lost my son (given, in a very different matter but the loss of a child is…the loss of a child) and have my cat who has been a great relief to me through this year (I actually show more have two cats but only one likes to acknowledge my existence without the assistance of food being involved). The day I went into labor, it as was if my cat knew something was wrong before I did. He laid his paw gently on stomach and wouldn’t leave my side but would never lay on me as I was in terrible pain. After coming home from the hospital, he stuck by my side and 10 months later continues to be a great source of comfort.
I really enjoyed and appreciated this book so much. What this woman writes was soothing to me because it was nice to know someone felt the anger and the sadness I felt. She writes wonderfully. She is descriptive and honest from beginning to end. I have read complaints from people who felt the cat, Cleo, wasn’t as much as a focus as they had wanted and I can see that. But for me, it was about so much more. It’s about finding the beauty and joy in the little things. It’s about resilience and courage to move on with life. It’s about showing emotions and having hope. It’s about a cat and her love for her family. People are regularly telling me I should stay away from these books – that I should read happy, upbeat stories. But it is these books that help me the most because for those 300 pages I’m with someone who understands and isn’t that what anyone wants? To be understood? If you’re a cat lover, I think you will enjoy this book but be prepared that it’s more than just a story about a cat. And you might want a tissue or two while you’re at it. show less
Helen Brown took her animal loving son Sam to see a litter of kittens as he badly wanted one for his upcoming tenth birthday. The only kitten left is the runt, a tiny little scrap of black fur. Naming her Cleo it is arranged that the kitten would be dropped off to Sam in a few months time when she was old enough to leave her mother.
Sam’s love and total fascination in animals leads to a horrific accident. Shortly after his birthday while rushing an injured bird to a vet’s, he runs out in front of a car and is killed. The family is devastated – for Helen the grief is almost too much to bear. A few weeks later there is a knock on the door and Cleo is delivered. Helen insists that the kitten be taken away as she is no longer wanted show more but when Helen turns around and sees her younger son Rob smiling and cuddling Cleo she agrees to keep the kitten. Cleo is like a little whirlwind leaping from one moment of mischief to another, doing what comes naturally to kittens – ruling the roost. Yet in amongst the impishness, there is wisdom and compassion beyond human ken in this tiny furry companion. She knows when cuddles are needed, she knows when to distract from the depths of despair. After a while she not only heals their hearts, but allows them to move on with their lives. Rob is convinced Cleo tells him stuff in his dreams, that he will find friends and everything will be ok. It certainly appears that for the whole of her 24 years of life Cleo brings the right people into their lives at the right time. As a marriage ends, a career blossoms, love blossoms and illness strikes, Cleo is right there front, centre and in their face.
Helen Brown writes with a down-to-earth approach and never allows the story to get overemotional or melodramatic, even when tragic events occur. Helen’s story is about recovering after personal tragedy and the power of animals in that process; it is both heart-rending and very funny, sometimes on the same page. But it is honest and from her very soul. I recommend CLEO: HOW AN UPPITY CAT HELPED HEAL A FAMILY as it brings to the forefront the uncanny knowledge of our furry friends, the patience and restorative power of animal love. show less
Sam’s love and total fascination in animals leads to a horrific accident. Shortly after his birthday while rushing an injured bird to a vet’s, he runs out in front of a car and is killed. The family is devastated – for Helen the grief is almost too much to bear. A few weeks later there is a knock on the door and Cleo is delivered. Helen insists that the kitten be taken away as she is no longer wanted show more but when Helen turns around and sees her younger son Rob smiling and cuddling Cleo she agrees to keep the kitten. Cleo is like a little whirlwind leaping from one moment of mischief to another, doing what comes naturally to kittens – ruling the roost. Yet in amongst the impishness, there is wisdom and compassion beyond human ken in this tiny furry companion. She knows when cuddles are needed, she knows when to distract from the depths of despair. After a while she not only heals their hearts, but allows them to move on with their lives. Rob is convinced Cleo tells him stuff in his dreams, that he will find friends and everything will be ok. It certainly appears that for the whole of her 24 years of life Cleo brings the right people into their lives at the right time. As a marriage ends, a career blossoms, love blossoms and illness strikes, Cleo is right there front, centre and in their face.
Helen Brown writes with a down-to-earth approach and never allows the story to get overemotional or melodramatic, even when tragic events occur. Helen’s story is about recovering after personal tragedy and the power of animals in that process; it is both heart-rending and very funny, sometimes on the same page. But it is honest and from her very soul. I recommend CLEO: HOW AN UPPITY CAT HELPED HEAL A FAMILY as it brings to the forefront the uncanny knowledge of our furry friends, the patience and restorative power of animal love. show less
The Book Report: A family devastated by loss takes in a little black mutt-kitten and learns, painfully and slowly and with much trouble, to live the lives they've been allowed to keep despite the life that was lost. Marriages begin and end, relationships resemble the ones they began as not at all, and through it all, for a remarkable twenty-four years, a proud black cat runs the entire world from a succession of Kiwi then Aussie kitchens, living rooms, and Asian-run delis. One day she dies, and the pain of loss renews its hold on the current family configuration...gently, clawlessly, and with a sense of the rightness of life even in the absence of our dearly, dearly beloved.
My Review: I know that the publisher feels this is superlative show more writing. It's plenty good enough to tell the author's story. It's not lighting up the literary firmament. But the story is the star here. It's touching and it's heartfelt; it's amazing how honest one can feel the author being; and it's quite endearing how exasperated this woman spends her life being with her lot in life.
Reading about loss is always problematic for those who have suffered it...I lost my own son at an early age...but let me tell you now that grief and grieving end up being the constants of life so it's a damn good idea to get the coping techniques of others into your head and stat. You could do a lot worse than start here.
There is a moment near the end of the book, one which for obvious reasons I won't go into in a review, but that moment, that single page and a half, would make this book worth the US$16 it costs. Peace descends on us in the oddest ways, at the strangest times, and there is absolutely no earthly connection between the ease and the suffering it replaces. Unearthly connections, well, those I am not qualified to analyze.
So then, I hear you thinking, why'd you give the book a mingy three stars? It's about a cat. That's unforgivable. show less
My Review: I know that the publisher feels this is superlative show more writing. It's plenty good enough to tell the author's story. It's not lighting up the literary firmament. But the story is the star here. It's touching and it's heartfelt; it's amazing how honest one can feel the author being; and it's quite endearing how exasperated this woman spends her life being with her lot in life.
Reading about loss is always problematic for those who have suffered it...I lost my own son at an early age...but let me tell you now that grief and grieving end up being the constants of life so it's a damn good idea to get the coping techniques of others into your head and stat. You could do a lot worse than start here.
There is a moment near the end of the book, one which for obvious reasons I won't go into in a review, but that moment, that single page and a half, would make this book worth the US$16 it costs. Peace descends on us in the oddest ways, at the strangest times, and there is absolutely no earthly connection between the ease and the suffering it replaces. Unearthly connections, well, those I am not qualified to analyze.
So then, I hear you thinking, why'd you give the book a mingy three stars? It's about a cat. That's unforgivable. show less
Opening Sentence: “…’We’re not getting a kitten,’ I said, negotiating our stationwagon around a bend the shape of a pretzel.…”
Helen Brown took her animal loving son Sam to see a litter of kittens as he badly wanted one for his upcoming tenth birthday. The only kitten left is the runt, a tiny little scrap of black fur. Naming her Cleo it is arranged that the kitten would be dropped off to Sam in a few months time when she was old enough to leave her mother.
Sam’s love and total fascination in animals leads to a horrific accident. Shortly after his birthday while rushing an injured bird to a vet’s, he runs out in front of a car and is killed. The family is devastated – for Helen the grief is almost too much to bear. A show more few weeks later there is a knock on the door and Cleo is delivered. Helen insists that the kitten be taken away as she is no longer wanted but when Helen turns around and sees her younger son Rob smiling and cuddling Cleo she agrees to keep the kitten. Cleo is like a little whirlwind leaping from one moment of mischief to another, doing what comes naturally to kittens – ruling the roost. Yet in amongst the impishness, there is wisdom and compassion beyond human ken in this tiny furry companion. She knows when cuddles are needed, she knows when to distract from the depths of despair. After a while she not only heals their hearts, but allows them to move on with their lives. Rob is convinced Cleo tells him stuff in his dreams, that he will find friends and everything will be ok. It certainly appears that for the whole of her 24 years of life Cleo brings the right people into their lives at the right time. As a marriage ends, a career blossoms, love blossoms and illness strikes, Cleo is right there front, centre and in their face.
Helen Brown writes with a down-to-earth approach and never allows the story to get overemotional or melodramatic, even when tragic events occur. Helen’s story is about recovering after personal tragedy and the power of animals in that process; it is both heart-rending and very funny, sometimes on the same page. But it is honest and from her very soul. I recommend CLEO: HOW AN UPPITY CAT HELPED HEAL A FAMILY as it brings to the forefront the uncanny knowledge of our furry friends, the patience and restorative power of animal love. show less
Helen Brown took her animal loving son Sam to see a litter of kittens as he badly wanted one for his upcoming tenth birthday. The only kitten left is the runt, a tiny little scrap of black fur. Naming her Cleo it is arranged that the kitten would be dropped off to Sam in a few months time when she was old enough to leave her mother.
Sam’s love and total fascination in animals leads to a horrific accident. Shortly after his birthday while rushing an injured bird to a vet’s, he runs out in front of a car and is killed. The family is devastated – for Helen the grief is almost too much to bear. A show more few weeks later there is a knock on the door and Cleo is delivered. Helen insists that the kitten be taken away as she is no longer wanted but when Helen turns around and sees her younger son Rob smiling and cuddling Cleo she agrees to keep the kitten. Cleo is like a little whirlwind leaping from one moment of mischief to another, doing what comes naturally to kittens – ruling the roost. Yet in amongst the impishness, there is wisdom and compassion beyond human ken in this tiny furry companion. She knows when cuddles are needed, she knows when to distract from the depths of despair. After a while she not only heals their hearts, but allows them to move on with their lives. Rob is convinced Cleo tells him stuff in his dreams, that he will find friends and everything will be ok. It certainly appears that for the whole of her 24 years of life Cleo brings the right people into their lives at the right time. As a marriage ends, a career blossoms, love blossoms and illness strikes, Cleo is right there front, centre and in their face.
Helen Brown writes with a down-to-earth approach and never allows the story to get overemotional or melodramatic, even when tragic events occur. Helen’s story is about recovering after personal tragedy and the power of animals in that process; it is both heart-rending and very funny, sometimes on the same page. But it is honest and from her very soul. I recommend CLEO: HOW AN UPPITY CAT HELPED HEAL A FAMILY as it brings to the forefront the uncanny knowledge of our furry friends, the patience and restorative power of animal love. show less
The cat is central to this story, but it shares this space with the death of a child and the dark waves that rippled through this family for years afterwards. There's plenty of sentiment here, but it never tips over into sentimentality, and in parts it's very raw indeed.
This book is a wonderful, moving memoir about a cat who helps heal a family after a horrific tragedy strikes them. We get a glimpse into Helen's life after she loses her son, Sam. The family had arranged to adopt Cleo as a birthday present for Sam. When Cleo is delivered to the family, the last thing they were thinking about was giving a kitten a home. They were grieving after losing Sam. As soon as Helen's son, Rob holds Cleo, he smiles for the first time in a very long time. Cleo was indeed home and on her way to becoming a part of the family. I enjoyed reading about Cleo's crazy cat antics. Cleo certainly made her presence known right from the start. Anyone who is owned by a cat knows how insane life can become with a small kitten show more running the show. You also know how loving a cat can be especially in our times of need. Cleo was no exception. It was as though she knew she had an important job to do and that was to help her family through a terribly trying time. I loved reading about Cleo's adventures with her family. The story is both touching and amusing. The book is not just about Cleo but about a family moving forward after a tragic time in their lives. By the end of the book I felt as though I knew Helen, Cleo and the whole family and had taken the journey along side them. I have always thought that animals possess a healing quality and Cleo has shown me that to be true. I loved this book and highly recommend it, even if you are not a cat lover! Be sure to have Kleenex close by. This book will have you in tears at times, some happy tears, some sad tears and some from laughing so hard at Cleo's shenanigans. I enjoyed Helen's sense of humor. Pets and laughter can be the best medicine of all! This book will stay with me for a long time to come. show less
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Helen Brown, born in 1954, is one of New Zealand's widest read, longest running columnists and a best-selling author. In 1991 she was awarded a Nuffield Press Fellowship to Cambridge University, UK. Helen has written nine books including: Florascope, In Deep, Clouds of Happiness, Tomorrow When It's Summer, and A Slice of Banana Cake. Her most show more recent book, Cleo, was released to wide acclaim landing on the New York Times Best Seller List its first week in bookstores. Before moving with her husband Philip and three children to Melbourne nine years ago Helen was a full time feature writer for the Sunday Star Times in Auckland. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Cleo
- Original title
- Cleo
- Alternate titles
- Cleo: the cat who mended a family
- Original publication date
- 2009
- People/Characters
- Cleo; Rata; Helen Brown; Sam Brown; Steve Brown; Rob Brown (show all 10); Ginny; Jason; Ann Marie; Philip
- Important places
- Auckland, New Zealand; New Zealand; North Island, New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand; The Zig Zag
- Important events
- Sock-er!
- Dedication
- To those who say they aren't cat people but deep down know they are.
- First words
- A cat chooses it's owner, not the other way around.
'We're not getting a kitten,' I said, negotiating our stationwagon around a bend the shape of a pretzel. 'We're just going to look at them.' - Quotations
- Mothers are the ultimate power junkies. When we lift a newborn human from our bodies we experience an adrenaline high far headier than anything Bill Gates or Pablo Picasso knows about. Multi-zillion-dollar businesses and th... (show all)e world's greatest art fade to trinkets alongside the miraculous creation of a human being. The reason so few women become great concert masters, politicians and inventors isn't so much because of prejudice (not that there's a shortage) or lack of opportunity (hardly a drought of that, either). Why would anyone bother writing a symphony when she can create a collection of cells that will one day ask to borrow her car?
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The deepest bow is for Cleo, who loved us with all her heart for so long.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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