As a cat lover and cat-mom I was thrilled to find this book.

Leyla Atke’s autobiographical story about her relationship with a cat appears to tell a simple story but it is really so much more… `Charm: An Amazing Story of a Little Black Cat’ demonstrates that we need to be alert for new influences to experience the best in life.

Leyla spots `Charm’ the black kitten as she is on her way to the hairdresser. She planned the event well and called the salon so she would not have to wait and lose time. Yet when she sees the black kitten everything changes. Leyla senses that taking in this kitten is more important than her haircut. Since she has another cat at home meeting `Charm’ is not about potential new pet ownership. Rather Leyla recognizes instantly that `Charm’ is meant to be in her life.

Unfortunately `Charm’ leaves Leyla just like he had entered her life – sudden and by his own will. The author’s description of the events around Charm’s final disappearance is packed with deeper meaning. While readers (especially cat lovers) have to feel sad, that Charm is gone, I think the passage shows how humans/people have to make the best out of their scenarios; we cannot really control everything. Sometimes relationships come and go to prepare us for the future, to help us grow.

In an almost magic way this also happens in Leyla’s life. I am not going to give away any spoilers but I will say that much, “Be on alert on September 30”; obviously a lot of things can happen on that date.

Loved the book and tried to read it to my own cats. One of them wanted to listen, the other one is like Charm, she does her own thing.

4 stars – only because the book is short. Expressing my hope that author Leyla Atke will put together a collection of similar stories or expand on the topic by writing fiction books about how and what we can learn from our relationships with animals and pets.

Gisela Hausmann, author & blogger

#cats, #books, #reviews, #reincarnation, #magic.