If you love cat stories, this book is perfect for you. I simply loved the story and how Mickey, the kitten, gave Helen something to love and take care of. Her father brought home the kitten and gifted it to his daughter. However, her mother does not like cats at all! So, Helen has to hide the kitten. She constructs a little house for the kitten out of materials found in the basement. She feeds Mickey with table scraps that she hides. It works for a while, but her siblings catch on that she's got a cat hidden in the basement. Later on, we learn that her mother suspected it too.

Helen's mother was a difficult character to like toward the beginning of the book. She seems totally absorbed in securing a role in a community stage production. Her only focus is on getting the role. She seems distant from her children. Later on, we see the mother's other side and she turns out to be OK after all.

Helen's brother has a taxidermy shop in his room, his own museum. He doesn't let the other siblings in there. Through the years covered by the story, we see the brother grow up and move out of the home. Helen goes through many changes over the years, including surgery on her eyes. Through it all, Mickey is her best friend. Helen can communicate with him, in that special way pet parents do.

Helen's family is unique and has a variety of quirks that she notices as she grows up. She becomes good friends with all the smaller neighborhood children, and they all play in her yard, where Mickey provides some of the entertainment.

The cat gets into many different situations and the reader finds themselves rooting for the cat every time! I loved this story. If you love cats, you can't go wrong reading this fun book. It is great as a character study of Helen's fun family, but also a heartwarming cat tale.

What a cute surprise of a book.
I loved this story. and felt everything in this. My puppy found me last year and rescued me so this book was right up my alley.
Please adopt,, don't shiop.

Helen Brown and I have connected on a feline level.  I have read every book she has written regarding the cats in her life and the ways in which they have affected her over the years.  Thus, I couldn’t wait to read about Mickey, her very first cat.  I was an adult when I was given my first cat as a birthday present from a good friend.  Rascal and I developed a bond that would become extremely important and influential in my life and I could only imagine what an influential force Mickey could have been to a very young Helen Brown.  When I had the opportunity to get my hands on a copy of Mickey: The Cat Who Raised Me, I jumped on it.

               Helen Brown grew up in a castle in New Plymouth, New Zealand, the youngest child of an engineer and a former journalist turned musical theater fanatic.  The castle was in a constant state of repair, as was her family.  Her father believed in the use of natural gas, while everyone else seemed to believe in the use of coal or crude oil.  Her mother, though she loved her husband and her family, has always regretted having to leave her journalist job and is constantly searching for a way to feel relevant through acting in local musical theater shows.  Her older brother is expected to carry on in her father’s footsteps, but would like to step out of those and into a role in the entertainment industry.  Her sister is quiet and unassuming, but longs for more in life than settling down and raising a family. 

               In 1966, Helen is twelve and on the cusp of becoming a teenager.  She is incredibly lonely, having few friends, dealing with issues regarding her eyes that may require surgery, and feeling like she doesn’t fit in anywhere.  That is, until her father gifts her with Mickey, a three-month-old abandoned polydactyl (extra toes) kitten.  Mischievous and a little aloof thanks to his stray beginnings, Mickey is afraid of Helen at first, but eventually warms up to her.  Learning to earn Mickey’s trust, caring for him and supplying him whatever he needs, and keeping him hidden from a mother who has a professed hatred for cats transforms Helen.  She becomes more outgoing, more responsible, and in finding intense love for another being, finds love for herself. 

               I loved reading about the antics of Mickey and Helen as she learned to find happiness in the quirkiness of her home and family.  The funny tales of how she hid food to bring the cat – and the types of food – were hilarious.  The ways in which she described Mickey looking at the world with new eyes were fun to read about.  Helen’s interactions with others once she began her adventures with Mickey were quirky and it was fun to read about Helen’s evolution thanks to her interaction with her new best friend.

Helen seemed to be a meek and scared being who couldn’t find her way in the world until Mickey was brought into her life.  People never seem to understand what I mean when I say that love of family is different than love of cat.  Cat’s love you unconditionally.  They are somewhat independent, but still do depend on you for food, love and comfort.  They don’t judge your actions.  This is entirely different from the love of a family with certain cultural values and tastes that may be oppositional to your own.  My first cat transformed me from the shy, never-take-chances young lady I was to the assertive, un-intimidated individual I am now.  It is understandable that Mickey would have such a profound effect on who Helen would become later in life.

Helen Brown has always been an extremely descriptive writer and Mickey: The Cat Who Raised Me is no different than her other books in that respect.  I could perfectly visualize every scene she described in my mind’s eye.  I can see this book being easily turned into one of those Hallmark movies I watch on occasion.  Mickey: The Cat Who Raised Me is an adorable and uplifting read that anyone who has ever been owned by a cat can relate to.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Make no mistake. We cats are special. All of us. But some cats have more important tasks than others and for the most part it is keeping one, or several, humans on the right path. Mickey was one such kitty. Dishevelled and ill, Helen’s father brought the little kitten home from the gasworks where he worked. Knowing that her mother had an unreasonable abhorrence of felines, both father and daughter knew he would need to be hidden. He was not sure at first whether these humans warranted his attention but slowly and with patience, he and Helen formed a bond. He needed her. But she needed him even more.

Her life was in flux, not just from the changes from child to teenager that beset all humans, but from a lack of support and guidance from her parents. Her mother was absorbed in superficial things and a desire for a career other than mother and housewife. Her father, well meaning and loving, did not provide the stability she required either. Mickey, on the other paw, was her rock. His love was non judgemental. It was complete. When a human gains the trust and love of a cat, it is the most remarkable and healing thing. He helped Helen through some perilous times.

But Mickey’s real purpose was in turning around Helen’s mother’s life. He opened her eyes and her appreciation for things feline and was able to provide surprises along the way too. It is a heartwarming story of a quirky childhood and the love of a cat who provides the foundation for the family whom he adopted. Be prepared to be moved’. Five purrs and two paws up.

This was book was not what I anticipated when I picked it up. I thought it would focus on Mickey, the cat. However, it was really more about the author’s life. You do get a vivid picture of the family squabbles and the attempt to build relationships with the family members. But it was just wasn’t enough to engage me in the story. So it was just a “meh” read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Citadel for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

This book is a great read! Helen and Mickey's story is a wonderful story about how the love of an animal can make your life so much better. I really enjoyed this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books | Citadel via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love cats and have a feline best friend of my own, so Mickey by Helen Brown was an easy sell for me. I loved this heartwarming and touching story and would recommend for all cat lovers. I think this would also make an outstanding gift for the cat lady (or man) in your life!

Helen Brown delivers a heartwarming memoir chronicling her transformative bond with a special cat named Mickey. Against the backdrop of 1960s New Zealand, Brown's narrative beautifully captures the healing power of companionship and the profound lessons learned through caring for a beloved pet. With humor and sincerity, she navigates the complexities of childhood, offering a poignant reminder of the enduring impact of love and connection.

***3.5 rounded to 4 stars**
I love animals, so I thought this book would be about the author's childhood pet kitten Mickey, however the cat was more on the periphery of the narration about growing up in New Zealand, raised by an eccentric family. Helen struggled with her body image, having a narcissistic/neglectful, glamorous mother who was more focused on her musical theater ambitions than what was happening in her family. She also loved dance but didn't fit into the ballerina stereo-type ideal body. I love how she described teaching the neighborhood children how to move their bodies in enthusiastic and energizing ways to dance to their own music. Her father was sometimes attentive, as he was the one who thought she needed the cat and it was clear that her aunt was a stabilizing presence in her life, and helped balance out the chaos and confusion that seemed to happen in the busy family. The book was descriptive, but often too much as to slow the story down (for example, a very descriptive passage about what was in the medicine cabinet!), but it was wonderful to picture the beautiful location and the seasons. This reminded me a bit of the PBS family show, The Durrells in Corfus, based on an autobiographical book , with the old house, many animals, and strong family characters. I think this book would translate really well into a streaming series/movie and would be one that I would love to watch!

I love the story of Helen Brown's cats as they always make me smile and move me to tears. There's always some details that makes me think of one of my late cats.
This one is compelling, sweet and it made me smile.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have been an animal lover for as long as I can remember. I love books about animals but am sometimes heartbroken because of the ending of the story. Not so here. I loved the relationship between Helen and Mickey. I could see myself on some of those pages. It's a beautiful story about Helen and Mickey and in some instances, just Helen. I'm glad that she had Mickey as he helped her deal with her overbearing mother and odd brother.
Anyone who enjoys a cat story will get lost in the pages of this book. It's not only about a girl and her cat, it's about growing up with a family that isn't the ideal one. I'm glad that the ending told about the author in present time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this book are solely my own.

I'm not sure what I expected from this novel, but what I got in 10 times better.

Mickey reads like a magical fairy tale. Although set in the 1960s, in my mind it was in the early 1900s. I give the reader a rich imaginative experience that I have not experienced in a very long time.

I will now be searching for more Helen Brown books over the weekend.

It would surprise no one who has met me to know I am a sucker for a good cat story. And while I would have liked a little more of the cat and a little less of the author’s coming of age, I thought Mickey was a great way for her to structure her story. This is a super fast read and a very interesting one. I haven’t read any of the author’s previous books, but I don’t think this will be my last one. I respect a person whose life is told in relation to the animals they have loved. Helen’s father gave her a kitten whose whole family had been poisoned to take care of but she had to hide it from her mother who detested cats. Despite this Mickey is soon her very best friend (a phenomenon I can totally relate to by the way). I liked the afterward and getting to find out a tiny bit about the futures of the people in this memoir. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up because I have a soft spot for lucky cats with extra toes.

Mickey, by Helen Brown, is a book about a stray cat found at the gassworks of New Zealand where Helen's father works. When they first bring him home, he's very shy and skittish, but as the days go by, Helen's and Mickey's friendship grows. Will her mother ever accept him and allow him to sleep in the house?

I chose to read this book because it's about a cat, and I'm a cat person. I did enjoy the story on one hand, but on the other hand, there were some things in it that seemed strange to me, like the fairies in Helen's room at night who opened her window and the weird beliefs held by Helen about the after life. And also how Mickey and Helen could communicate with each other.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Kensisngton Publishing for an advanced e-pub of this book.

All opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

#Mickey #NetGalley

I was enthralled by this delightful story about a young girl's relationship with her very special cat. Helen is the youngest in her family and the only cat lover. Her mother actively dislikes cats, so when her father gives her a tabby kitten she has to keep it out of doors. There is enough space to build a home for him in the grounds of their run-down mansion in a New Zealand coastal town, but Helen is desperate for her pet to come indoors and be treated as part of the family. She calls him Mickey because he has a white M on his forehead, and thinks he is magical because he has an extra toe on each foot. Although mischievous Mickey disrupts the lives of Helen's parents and siblings in amusing ways, he and Helen always have each other's backs and she enjoys caring for him. The life of a pre-teen girl in 1966 New Zealand is beautifully described, including the distant drama of atomic tests and the eye surgery Helen has to undergo. Her mother is keen on amateur operatics, her father enjoys mountaineering and her older brother and sister have their own challenges, so there is plenty of variety in the plot. Highly recommended.

I love cats and I love books and I love books that include cats, so this was a hit for me. I think a cat and owner relationship is so beautiful. I can see my patrons loving this one!

I’m such a sucker when it comes to books involving pets — cats and dogs especially. So when I was given the opportunity to read a book about a cat named Mickey, I was over the moon!

I was expecting a story similar to those pet books written by W. Bruce Cameron, Tatum Talks; Mica Stone or Marth Teacher. But Mickey was not even close to any of the books by the authors mentioned, which was a bit disappointing. Mickey was a very minimal cat story and more of the author’s journey growing up with a somewhat disfunctional mother and siblings.

I enjoyed the beginnings of the book. But after a while, it got a little tedious, especially when the focus turned to Helen’s mother, who I disliked from the get-go. Kudos to Helen for surviving all those years unscathed.

What I found puzzling was Helen’s eye surgeries. There appeared to be more than one and I didn’t quite get what prompted those surgeries (lazy eye?) A little more background information would have been nice since the book really didn’t focus on Mickey the cat, but on Helen’s life.

While I can’t say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book, Mickey was still a good read. Three stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Cats and animals really do have a way of healing people. In this book, we learned not only how Mickey's life was changed but how Mickey changed with life, I enjoyed the book. Never underestimate the value that a furry friend can add to your life. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.

“Who was the first pet you ever loved?”

A scrawny, little scoundrel named Smoky, who was a fluffy, charcoal gray kitty that was the runt from the litter of a neighbor’s cat. Yep, that’s right! This long-time, dedicated dog mama began her lifetime devotion of fur babies with a cat, which was challenging growing up in a house with brothers and their dogs. Smoky was very smart, and very fierce and he had every dog in the house thinking twice about messing with him. It wasn’t long before even my pops admired him and respected him for his feisty sass. I am reminded of my Smoky every time I hear that famous quote (don't know who said it) about cats and dogs:

“Cats rule and dogs drool!”

Anyway, the book summary introduces the primary storyline of Helen, a 12yr old with an eye condition that she is awaiting surgery for. Helen’s father finds a matted, malnourished, polydactyl kitten, with a really bad eye infection, who somehow survived the poisoning that killed the rest of her family. Initially, Helen has to hide the kitten, who Helen named Mickey, from her mother, who doesn’t like cats. Mickey soon becomes Helen’s BFF and her adorable fur baby.

There are secondary storylines like big brother, Jim, who is obsessed with taxidermy and scientific experiments, so much so, the family calls his bedroom and work room “the museum”. Personally, it’s pretty creepy. Helen makes sure to keep Mickey out of Jim’s hands. There is also Helen’s mother, Noeline, who is practicing for the audition of the lead role in the King and I for the local theatre. So, in other words, a pretty self-absorbed, wanna-be stage performer. There’s also kooky Dad who’s a bit of an odd duck who is devoted to promoting natural gas for consumer purposes instead of electricity. Lastly, there is Aunt Lila, who is nothing like her younger sister, Noeline, and is the virtual “cool Aunt” and one of Helen’s biggest cheerleaders as well as co-conspirators, along with sister, Mary, in keeping Mickey hidden from Noeline.

Most of the story transpires during a period from early 1966 to mid to late 1967, in New Zealand's Te Ika-a-Māui island (the north island). Most of it revolves around Helen taking care of Mickey and trying to earn Mickey’s trust and bonding with Mickey and slowly incorporating Mickey into the family. I especially, liked the epilogue that brought the reader to the present day. Mickey was the start of Brown’s life-long devotion to her love and devotion to her feline fur babies. I want to thank NetGalley, Kensington Books and Citadel for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #Kensington Books #Citadel #Mickey

I was looking forward to reading this book as the author had written one of my favorite books, Cleo, the Cat who Mended a Family, which sits upon my bookshelf. However, the story told in Mickey seemed to be about a lot of family life with Mickey in there sometimes. It was still a sweet story. I thank NetGalley and Keningston Books for the advance read.