Mickey - by Helen Brown (Paperback)

About the Book

"The youngest daughter of an eccentric engineer and a musical theater fanatic, Helen Brown grew up in the New Zealand coastal town of New Plymouth in a crumbling castle overrun by nature, and overshadowed by nearby, beautiful Mount Taranaki. It's 1966, the Pacific islands are being used for atomic bomb testing, and her parents and siblings are swept up in their own lives. Twelve years old, struggling in school, and facing eye surgery--for the second time--Helen feels lonely and lost. . . . Until her father gives her a three-month-old, gray-and-brown tiger-striped tabby with extra toes on each paw. Noticing an M design on the cat's forehead, Helen names her new companion Mickey. Inquisitive, rambunctious, clever, and skittish, Mickey disrupts the already quirky household with his mischief. But Helen finds love, joy--and herself--in learning what it means to care for a living creature who needs her as much as she needs him."--

Book Synopsis

A witty and warm memoir about growing up with the help of a very special cat - from Helen Brown, internationally bestselling author of Cleo and other tales of the beloved cats in her life...

Who was the first pet you ever loved?

The youngest daughter of an eccentric engineer and a musical theater fanatic, Helen Brown grew up in the New Zealand coastal town of New Plymouth in a crumbling castle overrun by nature, and overshadowed by nearby, beautiful Mount Taranaki. It's 1966, the Pacific islands are being used for atomic bomb testing, and her parents and siblings are swept up in their own lives. Twelve years old, struggling in school, and facing eye surgery--for the second time--Helen feels lonely and lost. . . .

Until her father gives her a three-month-old, gray-and-brown tiger-striped tabby with extra toes on each paw. Noticing an M design on the cat's forehead, Helen names her new companion Mickey. Inquisitive, rambunctious, clever, and skittish, Mickey disrupts the already quirky household with his mischief. But Helen finds love, joy--and herself--in learning what it means to care for a living creature who needs her as much as she needs him.

Review Quotes

Praise for Helen Brown's Cat Memoirs

"A beautiful story about the bonds of affection that can develop between humans and cats, and an uplifting tale about how everyone deserves love and a second chance." --Modern Cat on Bono: The Cat Who Was Special

"Inspiring." --MEOW on Bono

"An intimate memoir about one woman and her relationships with her cat and her family...[Brown] writes eloquently about the bonds that exist between women of all ages... a pleasant and moving story of love and identity among mothers, daughters and felines." --Kirkus Reviews on Cats & Daughters

"Candid, genuine, and unaffected, Brown's touching memoir celebrates the affirmational power of animal companions to help humans navigate life's most challenging moments." --Booklist on Cats & Daughters

"Sequel to Cleo, told with unflinching candor and Aussie-tinged wit... Brown reprises her first book's theme: cats have the power to help heal human suffering. Brown's voice is alternately, and appropriately, lighthearted and solemn." --Publishers Weekly, STARRED review for Cats & Daughters

"Pet lovers will remember Helen Brown as the author of Cleo, an endearing book about the cat that seemed to double as her family's emotional healer...Cats and Daughters is an equally endearing sequel to one of the most beloved cat chronicles." --BN.com on Cats & Daughters

"Possibly the next Marley & Me, Cleo, by Helen Brown, is an honest and un-mawkish true story of ordinary people rebuilding their lives after a tragedy, with the help of a kitten. Even non cat-lovers will be moved." --Good Housekeeping on Cleo

"An absolute must gift for yourself or a cat-loving friend." --Cat World on Cleo

About the Author

Helen Brown is the award-winning columnist and New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs books Cleo, Cats & Daughters, Bono, and Mickey, as well as the novel Tumbledown Manor. Translated into sixteen languages, her memoirs have been international bestsellers praised for "affirmational power of animal companions to help humans navigate life's most challenging moments" (Booklist). Born and raised in New Zealand, where she previously worked as a journalist, TV presenter, and scriptwriter, she now lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family and feline, the beloved Jonah. Please visit her online at
HelenBrown.com.