"Christmas miracle: cat saves humans from despair" isn't a new theme. In The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas, however, Julia Romp gives a well-known story new life by including it in a larger and more honest account of her life raising an autistic son. Romp was jobless and living in public housing when she had her son, George, who grew up struggling with communication and daily living. One day, when George is nine years old, a starving, mangy stray cat turns up in the garden shed. George dubs him "Ben," and the boy's first-ever genuine friendship is born.
As the story unfolds, Ben opens up George's world. By caring for Ben with his mother's help, George learns to practice compassion; by telling inventive stories about Ben's exploits, George and Julia talk to one another. So when Ben goes missing one summer day, he's more than just a cat on a ramble--he's the missing foundation of a functional family. Without him, George regresses, and Julia despairs--until Christmas morning, when a phone call from more than 70 miles away reunites a cat and the family he loves.
It's hard not to love Ben after reading Romp's intimate descriptions of the cat, and it's even harder not to care about George and Romp herself. The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas offers a fresh take on a classic tale, one perfect for a holiday read. --Dani Alexis Ryskamp, blogger at The Book Cricket