Gifts from a Feral Cat: A Story of Love, Loss, and Miracles

by Tian Wilson

Overview

The old adage, "When a student is ready, the teacher appears," doesn't say teachers are limited to the two-legged. In this true story, amid the beautiful backdrop of a small town in New Mexico in 1989, a woman seeks peace, answers, and perhaps redemption. On Thanksgiving morning, a mentor, healer, and teacher arrives at her home in the most unlikely of forms: an ugly, starving, beat-up cat. Thus begins an intimate and uplifting story about the power of Love.

The feral cat's noble presence stimulates healing and conversations among a small cast of characters who form a circle of friends: her older neighbors, Gus and Emma; her Navajo friend, Jake; and the local MD and vet, Doc Parsons. Others join the cast - the Egg Lady and her husband; Carlita, the Mexican girl from down the street; and Barry Mackland and his dog, Ferrari.

Together they explore some of life's biggest questions: What is love? How do I stop worrying? Do we still live after we die? How can I let go of the past and stay out of the future? How do I go through loss and grief in a healthy way? What breaks relationships? What heals them? These and other questions allow the reader to join in the explorations of self-awareness and the meaning of life.

Over the span of a year, she and her friends experience profound life lessons and personal transformation. As they discover the richness of wisdom in friendship and community, the strange cat leads them on a journey of discovery... and miracles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798987238509
Publisher:	Good Guest Publishing
Publication date:	11/18/2022
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.53(d)

Editorial Reviews

07/24/2023

Part memoir, part spiritual self-help guide, life coach Wilson’s debut offers a profoundly emotional and sometimes heartbreaking foray into the healing power of one feral cat. After a gloomy divorce, Wilson moves to an adobe house in the idyllic heart of the Rio Grande Basin in New Mexico, living quietly and alone with her cats Deirdre, a protective ginger tabby, and gray Cochon, speechless and timid. She becomes friends with her neighbors, elderly Gus and Emma, who after 40 years still mourn the death of their teenage son; Diné (Navajo) teacher Jake; and generous physician turned veterinarian Doc Parsons. To give back to the community, Wilson invites the homeless and fractured to share Thanksgiving dinner. One Thanksgiving night in 1989, a large black feral cat shows up on her deck, scarred with a torn ear and enormous head. When she decides to feed it, her world of wonder, love, and optimism blossoms.

Wilson’s elegant words flow effortlessly, smooth and silky, whether she’s describing the vibrant colors of the New Mexico landscape or the ways the cat becomes a messenger of love and a catalyst for redemption. Named Michael Sabio (that’s Spanish for “wise”) Jordan, or MJ, for the basketball star’s feline gracefulness, the cat changes the lives of not only the small community, but of Deirdre and Cochon, coaxing shy Cochon out of his shell. Wilson weaves into the uplifting story nuggets of MJ-inspired wisdom: “All relationships take nurturin’ if they’re gonna survive” and “All living things change when they’re loved.”

Drawing on her personal experiences and observations from MJ’s positive influence, Wilson opens the minds of animal lovers, worriers, mourners, and dreamers. “In a world where proof is required to believe, I experienced the unbelievable,” she says. Gifts from a Feral Cat is a poignant and insightful healing journey that inspires.

Takeaway: Enchanting tale of a feral cat and love, redemption, and wisdom.

Comparable Titles: Gwen Cooper’s Homer’s Odyssey, Vicki Myron’s Dewey’s Nine Lives.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews