Review of "Bono: The Amazing Story of a Rescue Cat Who Inspired a Community" by Helen Brown

Helen Brown is a wife, mother, journalist, blogger, author, and cat lover. Over the years Helen has written several books about her adopted felines - Cleo and Jonah - who helped her family heal after the tragic death of a child and Helen's bout with breast cancer. This book is about yet another kitty, Bono, whose resilience and joie de vivre helped Helen navigate her 'two-thirds life crisis.'


Helen Brown

In 2015 Helen was restless and bored in her Australian home, feeling like her relationship with her husband Philip was going stale. Helen writes "We’d been married 22 years, the kids had all left home and....I felt this terrible need to go away and find out who I really was."

Helen opted to go to New York, thinking, "What better place to be alone than in a city full of millions and millions of people?" In addition, New York was the home of Helen's editor, Michaela Hamilton. Michaela - a fellow cat enthusiast - was thrilled about Helen's visit and suggested the author foster a 'cat-in-need' during her visit. Helen (very reluctantly) agreed.

The author acquired a one-month Airbnb rental for a tiny studio apartment near the United Nations, and headed for the Big Apple with her daughter Lydia - who agreed to go along for a couple of weeks. The two women spent a few days sight-seeing; partying with Michaela; shopping at high-end department stores; and purchasing cat supplies before they met their foster cat, Bono, at Manhattan's Bideawee Shelter. Because Bono's fur had been severely matted he was shaved, and looked like a tiny black lion....complete with a mane and a pom-pom on the end of his tail.



Bono's solicitous caregiver at Bideawee, Jon Delillo, explained that the cat - who had been orphaned by Hurricane Sandy - had kidney disease and required extensive care and costly medication. Thus the little guy had almost no chance of finding a forever home. After Jon chatted with Helen and Lydia about Bono's 'vacation', he showed them how to administer the cat's pills, placed him in a carrier, and - grinning broadly- stated, "This is the best thing that's ever happened to Bono."😁

Helen didn't agree. Soon after Bono entered the studio apartment he climbed up the dirty chimney, got stuck, and knocked down years of accumulated grime. Afterwards, Bono hid under the bed, refused to take his medicine, ate sporadically, and wouldn't poop. In spite of it all, Lydia fell in love with Bono, while Helen (not so secretly) couldn't wait to take the cat back to Bideawee.

Lydia wouldn't have it though, and - before returning to Australia - made her mother promise to keep Bono for her entire stay in New York. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Helen's feelings for Bono changed when he showed himself to be a wonderful companion who was happy just to be alive. After Bono adjusted to his new circumstances, he greeted every day with happy exuberance and - like many pets - knew when Helen needed comfort - like after the horrific bombings at the Boston Marathon. Bono liked to play with a sock; arch his back leg in a graceful arabesque; have his forehead and neck stroked; sleep on Helen's pillow; wake Helen by patting her eyes; purr contentedly; and so on.

As Bono recovered his zest for life, so did Helen - partly from Bono's companionship, and partly from the fun she was having in New York: hobnobbing with interesting people; eating breakfast in the neighborhood diner; observing street vendors selling knock-offs; dining in fine restaurants; visiting fabulous museums; going dancing; shopping in elegant stores; strolling through diverse neighborhoods; befriending fellow cat lovers; and so on. I love New York too, so I completely understand this.

Helen's husband Philip was an absolute prince through all this. He completely supported Helen's 'sabbatical'; skyped with her regularly; always said 'I love you'; and took good care of their cat Jonah while Helen was away.

Bono's situation was still precarious, however, and - at Michaela's suggestion - Helen started a blog about the feline, to try to find him a permanent home. The blog attracted thousands of responses from people all over the world, with personal anecdotes about their cats.....and words of praise for Helen and Bono.

Did Bono find a forever family? Yes! But you'll have to read the book to find out how.

In the end, Bono helped Helen overcome her restlessness; grow closer to her daughter Lydia; gain a new appreciation for her husband; enhance her enjoyment of her children and grandchildren; agree to Philip's dream of buying a holiday cottage and a boat; and more. Quite a cat! And very beautiful when Helen visited him on a subsequent visit to New York, after his hair had grown back.



I enjoyed the book, but was sometimes put off by (what seemed like) Helen's self-centered behavior. More than once Helen spoke about staying in New York permanently, while the rest of her family remained in either Australia or New Zealand. Then I thought, maybe Helen's 'two-thirds life crisis' was connected to the tragedies in her life, including the life-endangering breast cancer. Anyway, who am I to judge? Given the option of fleeing to Hawaii (or Australia), maybe I'd do it. 😎 👙 💙 So, what Helen does is her own business (IMO).

All in all this is a good book about an endearing cat and the people who love him. Recommended to cat lovers everywhere.

I understand that part of the earnings from this book go to Bideawee Animal Shelter and Hospital.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Helen Brown), and the publisher (Citadel) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars