Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family

By Helen Brown

The Beloved #1 International Bestseller
Tenth 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 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

• Language: English
• Publisher: Citadel Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9780806534411

Helen Brown

Helen Brown was born in New Zealand. An award-winning columnist and journalist, she is the author of more than a dozen books, including Cleo, a memoir about a cat and the accidental death of Helen's nine-year-old son Sam, which has sold 2 million copies around the world. Helen's Huffington Post blog was read by more than 26 million people. She lives in Melbourne.

Reviews for Cleo

[richardderus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[poemyhero · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I saw this book at Borders and the cover caught my eye, so I wrote it down and requested that my library add it to their collection. The cover had the most exquisite little being just starting at me with captivating green eyes. Beside the pictured cat it read, "The next Marley & Me"- Good Housekeeping. I adored reading Marley & Me and, being that I currently have ten cats, I knew I had to read this book. Cleo has become one of my new favorite reads. Helen's writing is hand-crafted to every word, meaning that she's very meticulous and high descriptive in her choice of words. Every sentence is very picturesque. I loved how she could describe a site or action. Her writing was rather inspiring, as was Cleo.Reading Cleo often made me slow down and think of how our kitties (and for some reason I'm always drawn to Jasmine, our first cat) and how they did some of the same things. What it did point out is that she was not a "cat person," as she already did have a dog. Yet she found specialness in this cat. It was hard not to. The cat sure did mend her family in many ways. I sympathized with the process because our cats have done the same for us, particularly my Jasmine.I felt like I went through all the ups and downs with them, and boy did they have many. This book leaves me a warm place in my heart, and that (along with the incredible writing), is why I feel it is well deserving of a five. I'm grateful that my library did in fact add the book after my suggestion. Any cat lover, animal lover, or person with a heart for other beings will love it and devour the book.

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Before I begin, I will disclose to you that I read this book very light at night, while obsession over a house decision (its good! It really is!)So, as a result, this review is based on my reading of when I was not completely 100 % (which isn't fair, I know, but I won't be re-reading this book, and I want to review every book I read)Okay, so the actual review. I loved this book! The author manages to write a memoir that is held together by the cat, but not really about the cat (make sense?) Cleo arrives at a time when she is most needed, and manages to distract the authors son with her cute kitten antics, the author with her cute kitten cuddliness. She even manages to distract with her kittenish destruction of the house. As Cleo ages from kitten to adult, to senior cat, we get the story of the family from divorce, to true love and happiness.This is a warm, happy, sad, lovely written story that any animal lover will enjoy.Also, and observation. It seems there are non-cat people who love that special, individual cat. Then there are those that love all cats, all places. The story is about the first person. She didn't want a cat, but acquired one anyway. The cat managed to become a very loved part of the family. When the cat died, it wasn't a cat to be replaced, but a family member.

[xirxe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[nandadevi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[theonetree · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book made me laugh out loud from the very first page, and on many more to boot. The tragedy of it made me reach for my tissues more than once. I am deeply touched that Helen Brown could share her story, this story, and how brave she was to do so. And grateful that my friend would know how much I would enjoy reading it.This book is for every Mother, animal lover, parent, cat lover, or anyone who knows what love is, and how deep it can run.My thanks to you Helen Brown.

[sweb4us · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Helen Brown KNEW that she and her husband weren't cat people. She also knew that taking her sons to visit a friend's new litter of kittens was probably a mistake, but that didn't stop her from going. When her sons Sam and Rob fell for the runt of the litter, a tiny black kitten with a disproportionate face and sparse fur, she tried valiantly to be resolute. What on Earth would Rata, their aging Golden Retriever, think about a feline interloper joining the household?When her older son Sam asked to have the kitten as a birthday present, however, even agreeing to wait long past his actual birthday until the kitten was old enough to leave its mother, her resolve crumbled. Against her better judgement but tugging on her heartstrings, the scrawny black ball of fluff was going to join their family. Sam decided to name her Cleopatra, or Cleo for short.While waiting for Cleo to grow enough to join their family, The Browns continued to live life one day at a time, blithely ignorant of the tragedy that was to befall just weeks after they saw Cleo for the first time. What happened in the blink of an eye would alter the course of their lives forever after, and only Cleo's arrival breaks their despondency and sets them back on the course of life.Through trials and truimphs, family additions and subtractions, and household changes in configuration and location, Cleo weaves herself into the heart and soul of the family. The story of her life and those who love her make up the balance of this story, and without revealing spoilers, I really can't divulge more details.This was a very emotional, engaging memoir. I enjoyed reading it tremendously, and being a mother and cat owner myself , I was able to identify with the author in several instances. I laughed, I sighed, and I even shed a few silent tears in appropriate places. Cleo's story is a family story of life, love, and the neverending pursuit of happiness that every family experiences every single day.

[grgenius_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Where to begin! All the classic words of tender, heartwarming, heart breaking, and the like...so over used and yet so befitting this story. Cleo will work her way into your heart from the very start, lead you on a journey through the ups and downs that is life as conducted by her, and bring you back to earth heavy hearted but full of life and appreciation for the beauty that it holds. Even now as I type this brief review, I can't help but tear up....it really is that wonderful. One quick word to the wise....it's an emotional roller coaster in there with highs AND lows, so be sure to have tissues close by. Recommended reading for cat lovers, but really animal lovers in general....I truly believe there is not a person out there that this book cannot resonate with. Happy reading!

[moniica_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: When Helen's 9 year old son Sam is killed in a car accident, her life is torn apart and she is unable to look after herself, yet alone her other son Robert. However, little does she rememeber that a few weeks before Sam's accident, he chose a kitten for the family. When Cleo the kitten is delivered to Helen's front door a few days after the accident, she apologises that she is no longer able to take Cleo into her care. However, the owner is persistent and soon Helen and Robert are on their way to recovery thanks to the help of a cheeky little kitten.My Opinion: A very cute and uplifting story.

[bookaholicmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[ladyknowledge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Helen Brown's animal-mad son Sam wanted nothing beyond a kitten for his ninth birthday. He chose a small black cat and promptly named her Cleo. By the time Cleo was weened and delivered, Sam was dead and his family was struggling to come to to terms with the sudden loss of a healthy, happy young boy.The story that opens with tragedy is about how this tiny invader took over their hearts and helped guide them into a new normalacy. Cleo brought them the first tentative smiles and laughs and for her whole life, she helped heal this family. After reading the jacket, I thought this would be a sad story and difficult to read but once I started, I couldn't put it down. Cat lovers will recognize the unique gifts that feline friends bestow on us but anyone will be moved by the story of how this little bundle of fur helped her family.

[winecat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful, touching, heartbreaking, breathtaking book. An extraordinary cat helps a family move through life from tragedy to happily ever after. I cried through the last 3 chapters. Great book to share with your childs.

[zibilee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Helen Brown's two young sons see the neighbor's litter of kittens for the first time, she's staunch about not bringing any of the new babies into her home. When she sees the tiny runt of the litter, she falls in love with the little kitten and agrees to welcome the little bundle into her home when the kittens are old enough to be weaned. But before the delivery date is due, a terrible accident befalls Helen's family and her older son is killed in a horrible traffic accident. The Brown's world is crushed, and no matter what they try, they can't seem to get over the loss of Sam. One day a neighbor pops over to deliver the new kitten. Of course Helen is mortified and thinks of as many excuses as she can to deny the new addition, but as soon as the cat snuggles into her chest, her heart begins to melt and Helen's prejudices are pushed aside. The cat, named Cleo, is instantly at home in the house and quickly wraps everyone around her little paw. Devious and playful, Cleo's antics give the family something to focus on besides their grief, and her cuddliness and winsome attitude soon make this house of confessed dog lovers prey to the whims of an unusual and special feline. As Cleo teaches Helen and her family about healing and redemption, they come to envelop the cat into all areas of their hearts. Through the years, Cleo becomes not only an ally to be counted on, but the center of healing for the broken and careworn family. At times hilariously funny and at others tearfully sad, the story of Cleo: The Cat Who Mended a Family is not only a great story for animal lovers, but for anyone who is dealing with unexpected heartache and change.There are tons of animal books out there right now, and for the most part, I stay away from them. If you know me personally, you'd think this is very strange indeed, because I'm a huge animal lover and have a houseful of pets of all varieties. I've had pets all my life, from chinchillas and turtles to ducks and snakes, and of course the run of the mill dogs and cats. So I would be the perfect person to enjoy these stories of extraordinary animals, right? Well, that's not exactly what happens. I get all invested in these stories and come to love the animals in the books and feel a deeper and stronger connection to the animals I live with... and then the subject of the animal book dies. And I cry something fierce and ugly, and I vow to never read another book like it again. I figure what I need is an animal book that doesn't over-sentimentalize this point of the book and that doesn't build me up to a point where I'm heart sore for days after turning the last page. I got all that and more in Cleo, and though there were some things that I didn't really like about the book, the one thing that I did like was the straightforward and no-nonsense coverage of some of the more touchy and sensitive parts of this unusual cat's life.A few things struck me as odd. First of all, I thought there might be a little too much anthropomorphizing of Cleo than was strictly necessary, and while the description of some of the things she did sounded very human, I guess it was a little hard for me to believe that she was sort of like a human trapped in a cat's body. During the early sections, Helen goes to great pains to let the reader know that Cleo seemed to be a bundle of energy, and somehow interprets this as Cleo's way of giving the other human residents in the house something to focus on besides their grief. I can certainly understand that she would see it that way, but being the owner of kittens at many different times in my life, I have to say that this is not all that unique a trait. Kittens are normally very playful and at times destructive by nature. They are often more self-absorbed than Helen thinks her cat is, and I can't exactly say that Cleo's personality was all that different from a lot of cats I've had. Maybe this struck Helen because she'd never been a cat owner before, but after awhile, Cleo lost her sparkle for me because, although she was beautiful and lovable, I just didn't see that she was acting like a human as Helen did. As a matter of fact, the best things about cats to me is that they are so different from humans, so much more wild, playful and at times aloof. This turning Cleo into a human who seemed to be trapped in a cat's body was just a little weird for me.Another thing that seemed strange was that Helen and her remaining son seemed to attribute all these mystical powers to the cat. Cleo invaded the boy's dreams and spoke to him of how she would being him peace and friendship, and at other times, Helen claims to have had powerful spiritual awakenings in relation to Cleo. This was just weird to me. I'm always open to new and challenging ideas, but this just didn't seem to fit. Perhaps Helen was searching so hard for something after her son died that she thinks she found it in a cat. Perhaps I'm wrong and all these things are true, but to believe that Cleo is adept at picking Helen's next suitor or that she can bring friends to the family who has lost so much seems to be stretching it a bit. I also didn't like that when Cleo comes to live with the family, the dog they've had for years is relegated to second fiddle and eventually given away to her mother. This is not the way a responsible pet owner behaves, and though she makes some convincing reasons why this has to happen, it really made me uncomfortable.Where this book excels is in its revelation of how the presence of an animal can heal even the deepest wounds. Though I sort of disagree with all the magical properties that Helen imbues Cleo with, there's no doubt in my mind that a cat can not only be a wonderfully loyal and steadfast companion, but can also demonstrate and require the attention and love that may be missing in our lives. The healing power of a warm "fur child" on your lap is worth years of therapy to some, and science has proven that animals have restorative and healing powers beyond what we think is possible. They teach us to love unconditionally and to take things as they come. They teach us it's not so bad to have a few lazy days or to get excited by the little things, and I think this book shares that message in a clever and uplifting way. As I mentioned before, it's also not one of those "downer" animal books, and it manages to be very emotionally level when it comes to the more difficult parts of owning a pet.As anyone who owns an animal knows, they can be your best friend and greatest ally, and though I enjoyed those parts of Cleo's story, I found that the book may have been a little too strange to fully relate to. The sections dealing with Helen's grief over losing her son were poignant and humbling, but it was really hard for me to believe that one cat saved a family from that kind of grief. I am not saying it's impossible, just that I think it may have taken a little bit more for me to get over something like that. I do think that those readers who like stories about precocious and adorable animals could possibly love this one, and it's a bonus for me to have found an animal book that doesn't leave me bleary eyed with tears. An interesting, if not totally believable tale.

[uberbutter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[bemislibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The loss of a child cannot be replaced by the arrival of a pet, but the arrival of a new kitten can distract a person enough to get through the day. The author spins a tale of a little cat and its actions that brought laugher and love into a difficult situation.

[krystlelow · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm actually REALLY glad to have finished this book.

I enjoyed the first few chapters; they were laced with the cuteness of Cleo and the bond she built with the family; which is familiar, since I have cats at home too. It made me go 'awwww~' on more than one occasion per chapter, but after the 5th-6th chapter onwards, anything other than that of Cleo was, quite honestly, boring.

I understand that the protagonist is literally overwhelmed with grief at the death of Sam. I definitely understand her situation, but after a while, it seems as if the protagonist contradicts her own opinions. She says that she doesn't like people who immerse themselves in self-pity, but that was EXACTLY what she did for a good period of time, months after Sam's death.
It may be because of my intolerance towards anyone who uses self-pity as a way to garner sympathy (then again, the protagonist said she's sick and tired of everyone's sympathy as well) or attention; which the protagonist says she hates as well.

Another thing that bored me was the way the author described scenes. I can tell that she's trying to be detailed, which is good, but somehow, it just doesn't get me, know what I mean? When it came to those parts, I just felt like skimming through the pages until it went back to 'story mode'.

I found it quite difficult to finish, because as much as I wanted to finish it as soon as I could, I also couldn't muster up enough interest to actually pick the book up to read. Most of the time, I forced myself to.

A little comparison, if I may, to one of the claims made by Good Housekeeping, stating that this book was the next Marley & Me. I can definitely spot instances where scenes are described in a similar fashion, but I beg to differ, if you'll forgive me. John (Grogan, author of Marley & Me) had a flair of describing scenes in detail, yet with humour, which unfortunately, I find that Helen kinda lacks.

I won't deny the 'lessons' that Cleo has taught, though. Being an animal lover myself, I definitely agree that animals DO have some sort of healing power. Not just in dogs like Marley, and not just in cats like Cleo. It could be your pet chameleon for all it's worth.

Then again, I MUST say that I mean no insult to Helen Brown. I understand that every author has their own writing style, and this was just my honest opinion. Will I pick up After Cleo? Probably not. But I've seen a good few readers who enjoyed this book. So I recommend taking my review with a pinch of salt, and not let it deter you from giving this book a shot.

Who knows, you may find that unlike me, you like it!