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Thomasina: The Cat Who Thought She Was a God
By the author of the classic The Snow Goose, a heartbreaking story about a young girl and her most unusual cat, who has magical powers that save her owner's life.
"I was aware, from the very beginning, that I was a most unusual cat..." Thomasina is the beloved pet cat of 7-year-old Mary Ruadh, whose strict father is the town's vet. When Thomasina falls ill, her father sees no other option but to put the cat down. Heartbroken by his cruelty, Mary stops speaking to her father and falls dangerously ill herself. Meanwhile, Thomasina is rescued by Lori, a young woman who lives alone in an isolated glen and is rumoured to be a witch with healing powers. While Lori helps Thomasina recover from her ordeal, Mary's health continues to deteriorate and it is only when Thomasina makes her miraculous return, on a dark and stormy night, and is reunited with her owner that Mary is pulled from the brink of death.
"I was aware, from the very beginning, that I was a most unusual cat..." Thomasina is the beloved pet cat of 7-year-old Mary Ruadh, whose strict father is the town's vet. When Thomasina falls ill, her father sees no other option but to put the cat down. Heartbroken by his cruelty, Mary stops speaking to her father and falls dangerously ill herself. Meanwhile, Thomasina is rescued by Lori, a young woman who lives alone in an isolated glen and is rumoured to be a witch with healing powers. While Lori helps Thomasina recover from her ordeal, Mary's health continues to deteriorate and it is only when Thomasina makes her miraculous return, on a dark and stormy night, and is reunited with her owner that Mary is pulled from the brink of death.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1957
70 people are currently reading
1479 people want to read
About the author
Paul Gallico
184 books317 followersPaul William Gallico was born in New York City, on 26th July, 1897. His father was an Italian, and his mother came from Austria; they emigrated to New York in 1895.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
He went to school in the public schools of New York, and in 1916 went to Columbia University. He graduated in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree, having lost a year and a half due to World War I. He then worked for the National Board of Motion Picture Review, and after six months took a job as the motion picture critic for the New York Daily News. He was removed from this job as his "reviews were too Smart Alecky" (according to Confessions of a Story Teller), and took refuge in the sports department.
During his stint there, he was sent to cover the training camp of Jack Dempsey, and decided to ask Dempsey if he could spar with him, to get an idea of what it was like to be hit by the world heavyweight champion. The results were spectacular; Gallico was knocked out within two minutes. But he had his story, and from there his sports-writing career never looked back.
He became Sports Editor of the Daily News in 1923, and was given a daily sports column. He also invented and organised the Golden Gloves amateur boxing competition. During this part of his life, he was one of the most well-known sporting writers in America, and a minor celebrity. But he had always wanted to be a fiction writer, and was writing short stories and sports articles for magazines like Vanity Fair and the Saturday Evening Post. In 1936, he sold a short story to the movies for $5000, which gave him a stake. So he retired from sports writing, and went to live in Europe, to devote himself to writing. His first major book was Farewell to Sport, which as the title indicates, was his farewell to sports writing.
Though his name was well-known in the United States, he was an unknown in the rest of the world. In 1941, the Snow Goose changed all that, and he became, if not a best-selling author by today's standards, a writer who was always in demand. Apart from a short spell as a war correspondent between 1943 and 1946, he was a full-time freelance writer for the rest of his life. He has lived all over the place, including England, Mexico, Lichtenstein and Monaco, and he lived in Antibes for the last years of his life.
He was a first-class fencer, and a keen deep-sea fisherman. He was married four times, and had several children.
He died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of his 79th birthday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
July 4, 2012
This is a strange and amazing book about faith, compassion, love, and the power we have to save each others' souls. (All that in a book about a cat? Yes, believe it or not.) It starts out a little slow, but once the story was underway I really couldn't put it down. I loved the multiple perspectives, and there were several points at which I found myself in tears. Highly recommended, even if you aren't an animal person.
October 5, 2022
When I was younger I saw the Disney version of this book many times. But The Three Lives Of Thomasina skims over almost all of the tension and personal trauma that occurs for the main human characters in the story. Of course, Disney has to Disney-fy any intense story, but when I found the show on YouTube after reading the book and watched it before starting this review, I was still surprised at how many changes were made.
But I hear you saying that this is not supposed to be a comparison between the book and the show, and you are quite right. So I'll get back to business.
I love Paul Gallico and have many of his books, which I plan to eventually re-read in order to enjoy and review. But it was not until I saw Thomasina mentioned in the cat books section of Planet Cat that I made a real effort to find this title. Yay for my favorite online used bookseller! They had the book on its way to me immediately and here we are.
Thomasina is the cat heroine, Mary is the little girl who drags her around like a doll all the time, and Andrew is Mary's father, a man who had dreamed of being a doctor but whose father insisted he become a veterinarian instead. There is no wife and mother, she died while the family lived in the city before moving to their new lakeside village home.
So there is a lot of pain in the household, and we see it mainly in Andrew's manner. He is rough and unsympathetic, not very friendly, and worst of all, he does not seem to care about either people or animals. He has no compassion, cannot imagine what the word even means. And he has the reputation of putting animals to sleep rather than treating them.
That is what he does when Thomasina has health issues. The reader knows what has happened to her, but the vet sees her when he is stressed and trying to save a blind man's guide dog that has been hit by a car. After a quick look at the cat, he tells Mary there is nothing he can do for the creature and sends her home, going back to work on the dog and telling his assistant to chloroform the cat.
Without even thinking about it he has destroyed Mary's pet, Mary's faith and trust in him as someone who can be relied upon to fix any problem, and even her will to live. And from there on we have a crisis that Andrew does not know how to deal with. Will he get the help he needs to restore his daughter's health? Will she ever speak to him again? What about Thomasina? Was the funeral the children gave her the last we see of her? And let's not forget the witch woman Lori. What does she have to do with Andrew and his daughter?
This was a very intense story, sometimes a bit over the top for dramatics, but well worth the reading anyway. I am so glad I found it and learned the parts of the story that Disney left out.
But I hear you saying that this is not supposed to be a comparison between the book and the show, and you are quite right. So I'll get back to business.
I love Paul Gallico and have many of his books, which I plan to eventually re-read in order to enjoy and review. But it was not until I saw Thomasina mentioned in the cat books section of Planet Cat that I made a real effort to find this title. Yay for my favorite online used bookseller! They had the book on its way to me immediately and here we are.
Thomasina is the cat heroine, Mary is the little girl who drags her around like a doll all the time, and Andrew is Mary's father, a man who had dreamed of being a doctor but whose father insisted he become a veterinarian instead. There is no wife and mother, she died while the family lived in the city before moving to their new lakeside village home.
So there is a lot of pain in the household, and we see it mainly in Andrew's manner. He is rough and unsympathetic, not very friendly, and worst of all, he does not seem to care about either people or animals. He has no compassion, cannot imagine what the word even means. And he has the reputation of putting animals to sleep rather than treating them.
That is what he does when Thomasina has health issues. The reader knows what has happened to her, but the vet sees her when he is stressed and trying to save a blind man's guide dog that has been hit by a car. After a quick look at the cat, he tells Mary there is nothing he can do for the creature and sends her home, going back to work on the dog and telling his assistant to chloroform the cat.
Without even thinking about it he has destroyed Mary's pet, Mary's faith and trust in him as someone who can be relied upon to fix any problem, and even her will to live. And from there on we have a crisis that Andrew does not know how to deal with. Will he get the help he needs to restore his daughter's health? Will she ever speak to him again? What about Thomasina? Was the funeral the children gave her the last we see of her? And let's not forget the witch woman Lori. What does she have to do with Andrew and his daughter?
This was a very intense story, sometimes a bit over the top for dramatics, but well worth the reading anyway. I am so glad I found it and learned the parts of the story that Disney left out.
December 27, 2018
Thomasina tam yirmi yıl önce Türkçede baskısı yapılmış olmasına rağmen, benim gibi okumayı kendine iş etmiş birinin ancak bir yıl önce fark ettiği bir roman. Romanı Goodreads'teki Recommendations bölümünden keşfetmiş roman ve yazarı hakkında her zaman yaptığım gibi kısa bir araştırma yaptım. Paul Gallico (1897-1976) Newyork doğumlu olmasına rağmen İtalyan bir baba ile Avusturyalı bir annenin çocuğu. Türkçede yayınlanmış iki kitabı daha var. Bu kitabın yirmi yıl önce yapılan tek baskısının tükenmemiş olması benim için güzel bir sürpriz olsa da kitap için fena.
Dindar, sağ görüşlü bir yazarın romanı olarak düşündüm eseri. Gerçekten sağ retorik çok başarılı bir şekilde yedirilmiş kurguya. Ama misyoner havasıyla değil. Retoriğe eşlik eden ince bir mizah olduğunu da söyleyelim. Reha Yeprem'li "Sırlar Dünyası" kadar çapsız ve misyonerce değil anlatı. Kitabı okuyan bendeniz imana gelmediğim gibi Çingeneler'den de nefret etmedim. Tanıtım bülteninde roman için kullanılan "kendini okutuyor" ifadesi reklam kokuyor olsa da kitabı bitirirken, düşünülerek ifade edilmiş bir tespit olduğu ortaya çıkıyor. Gerçekten romanı okurken motivasyonum hiç eksilmedi.
Bir kedi cinayeti nelere mal oldu Tanrım! Tüm inanç-inançsızlık ile çocuk için herhangi bir ebeveynin olmamasının yaratığı travma ile ilgili tartışmalar olmayacaktı söz konusu cinayet olmasaydı. Ama romanda benim için merak konusu olan kedisini kaybeden umutsuz çocuğun durumundan ziyade vicdansız, kedi katili babanın imana gelip gelmiyeceğiydi. Ama sağ retorik sizi kriz ile baş başa bırakmaz. Eserin ağırlığı daha ziyade sonunda olur bu tür eserlerde, anlatıcılara baktığımızda da kendimizi bir mucizeye bile hazırlayabiliriz.
Anlatıcı demişken romanın çoğu belirsiz üçüncü kişi tarafından anlatılırken, ilk başlarda araya hikayeye adını veren kedi Thomasina da giriyor. Thomasina öldükten sonra benim ilk defa duyduğum Mısır panteonundan Güneş tanrısı Ra'nın ( bizde bulmaca tanrısı olarak da bilinir) kızı kedi tanrıçası Sekment Bast-Ra üçüncü kişiye yardımcı olur. Yalnız Bast-Ra'nın tanrısallığı düşmüş gibi...
Dindar, sağ görüşlü bir yazarın romanı olarak düşündüm eseri. Gerçekten sağ retorik çok başarılı bir şekilde yedirilmiş kurguya. Ama misyoner havasıyla değil. Retoriğe eşlik eden ince bir mizah olduğunu da söyleyelim. Reha Yeprem'li "Sırlar Dünyası" kadar çapsız ve misyonerce değil anlatı. Kitabı okuyan bendeniz imana gelmediğim gibi Çingeneler'den de nefret etmedim. Tanıtım bülteninde roman için kullanılan "kendini okutuyor" ifadesi reklam kokuyor olsa da kitabı bitirirken, düşünülerek ifade edilmiş bir tespit olduğu ortaya çıkıyor. Gerçekten romanı okurken motivasyonum hiç eksilmedi.
Bir kedi cinayeti nelere mal oldu Tanrım! Tüm inanç-inançsızlık ile çocuk için herhangi bir ebeveynin olmamasının yaratığı travma ile ilgili tartışmalar olmayacaktı söz konusu cinayet olmasaydı. Ama romanda benim için merak konusu olan kedisini kaybeden umutsuz çocuğun durumundan ziyade vicdansız, kedi katili babanın imana gelip gelmiyeceğiydi. Ama sağ retorik sizi kriz ile baş başa bırakmaz. Eserin ağırlığı daha ziyade sonunda olur bu tür eserlerde, anlatıcılara baktığımızda da kendimizi bir mucizeye bile hazırlayabiliriz.
Anlatıcı demişken romanın çoğu belirsiz üçüncü kişi tarafından anlatılırken, ilk başlarda araya hikayeye adını veren kedi Thomasina da giriyor. Thomasina öldükten sonra benim ilk defa duyduğum Mısır panteonundan Güneş tanrısı Ra'nın ( bizde bulmaca tanrısı olarak da bilinir) kızı kedi tanrıçası Sekment Bast-Ra üçüncü kişiye yardımcı olur. Yalnız Bast-Ra'nın tanrısallığı düşmüş gibi...
November 21, 2016
From what I knew (or thought I knew) about this book, I’d expected an adventure story of cat who gets put down but manages to survive and find her way back to her girl—and a children’s story. But while it was that at one level, it was so much more, and certainly not a children’s story. It is the story of the bond between human beings and animals on a broader level and also between one little girl Mary Ruadh and her cat Thomasina. But that bond unfortunately isn’t quite understood for a time by her father, the veterinary Andrew MacDhui, who is an embittered man, his wishes and ambitions thwarted by fate and in a place where he treats his patients efficiently for the most part but doesn’t feel for them or treat them as anything more than subjects, and his work as much more than a job. That failure to understand what an animal might mean to his person and vice versa prevents him, perhaps, from doing his job perhaps as well as he could. (And while I understood what he may have been suffering and even to an extent why Mr MacDhui may have done what he did with Thomasina, I couldn’t really like him much). But all that changes when he meets Lori, the ‘red witch’ who is in every possible way his polar opposite—someone I could relate to a lot—and it is her love and compassion that transform his life completely.
This story is also one of faith and how that helps different people in different ways—Mr MacDhui questions god and why people keep turning to him for he has been disappointed so many times. Yet eventually he finds the kind of faith, a kind of prayer that helps him too. The book goes into may philosophical questions too—of faith in particular, and (what was more interesting to me) of what constitutes ‘normal’ when we talk of life and ways of living.
And then of course, there is Thomasina herself, who story we see both in third person and who speaks to us directly—how she relates to Mary Ruadh, who she loves as dearly as Mary Ruadh does her (though she may not always want to admit it).
A wonderful read—but it did bring tears in my eyes more than once as there are moments when your heart simply breaks. I wish though that in one respect (aside from the ‘main’ storyline), Gallico had given it more of a story book end.
4 and a half stars
This story is also one of faith and how that helps different people in different ways—Mr MacDhui questions god and why people keep turning to him for he has been disappointed so many times. Yet eventually he finds the kind of faith, a kind of prayer that helps him too. The book goes into may philosophical questions too—of faith in particular, and (what was more interesting to me) of what constitutes ‘normal’ when we talk of life and ways of living.
And then of course, there is Thomasina herself, who story we see both in third person and who speaks to us directly—how she relates to Mary Ruadh, who she loves as dearly as Mary Ruadh does her (though she may not always want to admit it).
A wonderful read—but it did bring tears in my eyes more than once as there are moments when your heart simply breaks. I wish though that in one respect (aside from the ‘main’ storyline), Gallico had given it more of a story book end.
4 and a half stars
August 30, 2011
I chose this book because it was about a cat. All of my writing involves a cat and I like to see how other authors handled cat stories. While I had a vague recollection of the film, I didn't know much more about the book,so all in all this was a bit of 'reading' research.
I wondered as I started to read whether this story would have made it to print in this day and age. Laying aside the portrayal of gypsies, which many would find objectionable, the sentence structures are, perhaps, too long and complex for young readers. Once settled to the style, the writing draws you in to an imaginary Highland village which feels real, as do the people in it; although, for a while I imagined MacDhui as groundsman Willie from The Simpsons and the village teetered on the edge of Brigadoon.
The depth of description brought the characters to life and one description, in particular, brought a real smile to my face. The author's love of cats was obvious in his construction of Thomasina,in his descriptions of her movements and the creation of her characteristics. Not everyone likes stories where emotions are attributed to animals; I do, as do many others and Gallico does it well.
The story is enjoyable and while slightly dark at the beginning is one of sentimentality which carries with it some of the sugary sweetness that can be found in and on a tin of Scottish shortbread. It is a well crafted tale and shows the true skills of a wordsmith at work, which shines through even in its use of Scots.
My only problem with the book is that I'm not sure who would read it; cat lovers certainly; some youngsters, but many may struggle a little with the style, while for others the early content would pose a problem; I'm not sure who else.
I wondered as I started to read whether this story would have made it to print in this day and age. Laying aside the portrayal of gypsies, which many would find objectionable, the sentence structures are, perhaps, too long and complex for young readers. Once settled to the style, the writing draws you in to an imaginary Highland village which feels real, as do the people in it; although, for a while I imagined MacDhui as groundsman Willie from The Simpsons and the village teetered on the edge of Brigadoon.
The depth of description brought the characters to life and one description, in particular, brought a real smile to my face. The author's love of cats was obvious in his construction of Thomasina,in his descriptions of her movements and the creation of her characteristics. Not everyone likes stories where emotions are attributed to animals; I do, as do many others and Gallico does it well.
The story is enjoyable and while slightly dark at the beginning is one of sentimentality which carries with it some of the sugary sweetness that can be found in and on a tin of Scottish shortbread. It is a well crafted tale and shows the true skills of a wordsmith at work, which shines through even in its use of Scots.
My only problem with the book is that I'm not sure who would read it; cat lovers certainly; some youngsters, but many may struggle a little with the style, while for others the early content would pose a problem; I'm not sure who else.
November 23, 2015
"'Have you ever seen an angel, Lori?"
'I have heard their voices and the rush of their wings.'
Mr MacDhui felt himself suddenly filled with an unaccountable sadness, the sadness that results sometimes from a forgotten dream, or some hidden hurt to the soul that is touched off by something accidental or ordinary in life."
One of the joys of reading is coming across a book that is pure joy and considered a classic by many other readers, but that I've somehow never heard about or had a chance to read. As I grow older, this happens less often. Thomasina by Paul Gallico is a perfect example. It's a beautiful story about love, compassion, faith, and cats. Yes, cats! You can absolutely tell that the author owned cats. Cat lovers will recognize many funny details about their behavior in this wonderful story. I loved it, and I'm not ashamed to say that I shed a few tears. It's a bit sentimental, but there's no shame in that. I have to thank my sweet neighbor Kay French for loaning me this book.
'I have heard their voices and the rush of their wings.'
Mr MacDhui felt himself suddenly filled with an unaccountable sadness, the sadness that results sometimes from a forgotten dream, or some hidden hurt to the soul that is touched off by something accidental or ordinary in life."
One of the joys of reading is coming across a book that is pure joy and considered a classic by many other readers, but that I've somehow never heard about or had a chance to read. As I grow older, this happens less often. Thomasina by Paul Gallico is a perfect example. It's a beautiful story about love, compassion, faith, and cats. Yes, cats! You can absolutely tell that the author owned cats. Cat lovers will recognize many funny details about their behavior in this wonderful story. I loved it, and I'm not ashamed to say that I shed a few tears. It's a bit sentimental, but there's no shame in that. I have to thank my sweet neighbor Kay French for loaning me this book.
August 23, 2016
Though I realize this book comes off as a little surreal and even difficult to some people, I still would recommend it to anyone.
I'm not even a cat person. Seriously. At first I thought the cat's self delusions (or memories whatever you want to call them)about being divine a little weird, but as I got more into the story I began to find it rather a musing. It is an interesting idea at any rate that is almost a fable to explain why cats come off as so conceited. I suppose if a cat really did re-incarnate over and over again through history and could remember being worshiped in ancient Egypt that would give it some excuse for feeling superior.
At any rate, the story is really lovely and well written. Quite thought provoking. I was extremely touched at the end and cried like a baby during Mr. McDhui's internal struggle. I think the whole story is simply genius really. It deals so simply and honestly with human relationships.
I'll probably wait till my kids are a bit older to read it to them, but I really think it is worth having a copy in the home.
I'm not even a cat person. Seriously. At first I thought the cat's self delusions (or memories whatever you want to call them)about being divine a little weird, but as I got more into the story I began to find it rather a musing. It is an interesting idea at any rate that is almost a fable to explain why cats come off as so conceited. I suppose if a cat really did re-incarnate over and over again through history and could remember being worshiped in ancient Egypt that would give it some excuse for feeling superior.
At any rate, the story is really lovely and well written. Quite thought provoking. I was extremely touched at the end and cried like a baby during Mr. McDhui's internal struggle. I think the whole story is simply genius really. It deals so simply and honestly with human relationships.
I'll probably wait till my kids are a bit older to read it to them, but I really think it is worth having a copy in the home.
April 23, 2019
A touching story of a little girl, a ginger cat, and redemption.
May 24, 2013
Book review written a while ago:
It was with a little hesitation that I decided to reread, what I remembered, a child's book. However after the first chapter I was hooked not only for the sentimental reasons but also by the compelling story of the little girl, Mary Rhuadh, that loved her pet,Thomasina, so.
Then the novel changed from a simple tale of Mary draping her pet around her shoulders to Thomasina's untimely death. Mary's father, Andrew MacDhui, is a veterinarian but he has no love for animals, mankind or God since he lost his wife. His dislike for animals causes him to be known as being quick with the chloroform, unfortunately for Thomasina who becomes a victim to his hastiness.
Mary's overwhelming grief from what she believes is her pet's murder takes us into a very adult look at the issue of fairness as well as different views of God. Central to the story is the bitterness of lost faith and its offer to be regained.
Gallico concludes that every man has a different conviction and concept of God; a theology that is agreeable even with cats, it seems.
It was pleasing to be met with the depth of a spiritual journey in this cherished memory.
Walt Disney took this novel and made a children's movie out of it. I am certain that I can credit Gallico for becoming a cat lover .I saw the movie when I was about 5 years old and it left such an impression that I named my first cat, Thomasina.
It was with a little hesitation that I decided to reread, what I remembered, a child's book. However after the first chapter I was hooked not only for the sentimental reasons but also by the compelling story of the little girl, Mary Rhuadh, that loved her pet,Thomasina, so.
Then the novel changed from a simple tale of Mary draping her pet around her shoulders to Thomasina's untimely death. Mary's father, Andrew MacDhui, is a veterinarian but he has no love for animals, mankind or God since he lost his wife. His dislike for animals causes him to be known as being quick with the chloroform, unfortunately for Thomasina who becomes a victim to his hastiness.
Mary's overwhelming grief from what she believes is her pet's murder takes us into a very adult look at the issue of fairness as well as different views of God. Central to the story is the bitterness of lost faith and its offer to be regained.
Gallico concludes that every man has a different conviction and concept of God; a theology that is agreeable even with cats, it seems.
It was pleasing to be met with the depth of a spiritual journey in this cherished memory.
Walt Disney took this novel and made a children's movie out of it. I am certain that I can credit Gallico for becoming a cat lover .I saw the movie when I was about 5 years old and it left such an impression that I named my first cat, Thomasina.
June 7, 2019
The last month has been a rough one for me and my health, and I craved some kind of comfort reading. When I think of comfort reading, I think of the books that I loved as a child. Thomasina is a novel that I'd recommended to a co-worker for his daughter. I decided to re-visit the Andrew MacDhui family in Scotland, and especially the wonderful ginger cat Thomasina.
Paul Gallico treads lightly through the usual eccentric behaviors of cats and focuses really more on the eccentricities and weaknesses of the human characters in this story. While Mary Ruadh's reaction to the loss of her cat still strikes me as melodramatic in the extreme, and I doubted (as an adult) that she could really cause her own death as a result, all the other characters ring true and Peddie and MacDhui's philosophical conversations turned out to be far more interesting that I remembered them.
It's such a simple story -- Thomasina reigns supreme in the MacDhui household except when she's being carted around by Mary Ruadh. One day she awakes to a mysterious paralysis, and when Mary Ruadh takes her to her veterinary father to be cured, she is shocked when he orders her cat to be put down as he turns his attention to saving the seeing-eye dog of a blind man. As a result, Mary Ruadh vows to never talk to her father again, and she and her friends have a funeral for Thomasina. After burying her in a lovely glen, watched by the local "daft" young woman, Mary Ruadh's health begins to fail. Daft Lori, thinking the children have played a cruel joke on some animal, digs up Thomasina and saves her. But when Thomasina wakes, she thinks she's a god, one of the cat gods of ancient Egypt, and doesn't remember her life with the MacDhui's. So will she eventually remember and make her way back home? Will Mary Ruadh die from the loss of her beloved cat? Will Andrew finally figure it all out?
Paul Gallico's prose is smooth and easy to read, and he paints a lovely picture in words of the town and the characters. I found myself asking, who is really the main character of this story? It's really not Mary Ruadh or even Thomasina. So Gallico does a rather shrewd thing by writing a children's story without a child protagonist. I would have liked more in Thomasina's point of view, of course, and especially her view of human behavior. When I watch cats, I am convinced that they have definite ideas about just who and what humans are.
Gallico wrote some wonderful stories and I'd recommend his fiction to anyone looking for insightful but gentle stories about flawed, struggling people who have truly funny moments that reveal the folly of existence. As for the comfort I was seeking, I found it.
Paul Gallico treads lightly through the usual eccentric behaviors of cats and focuses really more on the eccentricities and weaknesses of the human characters in this story. While Mary Ruadh's reaction to the loss of her cat still strikes me as melodramatic in the extreme, and I doubted (as an adult) that she could really cause her own death as a result, all the other characters ring true and Peddie and MacDhui's philosophical conversations turned out to be far more interesting that I remembered them.
It's such a simple story -- Thomasina reigns supreme in the MacDhui household except when she's being carted around by Mary Ruadh. One day she awakes to a mysterious paralysis, and when Mary Ruadh takes her to her veterinary father to be cured, she is shocked when he orders her cat to be put down as he turns his attention to saving the seeing-eye dog of a blind man. As a result, Mary Ruadh vows to never talk to her father again, and she and her friends have a funeral for Thomasina. After burying her in a lovely glen, watched by the local "daft" young woman, Mary Ruadh's health begins to fail. Daft Lori, thinking the children have played a cruel joke on some animal, digs up Thomasina and saves her. But when Thomasina wakes, she thinks she's a god, one of the cat gods of ancient Egypt, and doesn't remember her life with the MacDhui's. So will she eventually remember and make her way back home? Will Mary Ruadh die from the loss of her beloved cat? Will Andrew finally figure it all out?
Paul Gallico's prose is smooth and easy to read, and he paints a lovely picture in words of the town and the characters. I found myself asking, who is really the main character of this story? It's really not Mary Ruadh or even Thomasina. So Gallico does a rather shrewd thing by writing a children's story without a child protagonist. I would have liked more in Thomasina's point of view, of course, and especially her view of human behavior. When I watch cats, I am convinced that they have definite ideas about just who and what humans are.
Gallico wrote some wonderful stories and I'd recommend his fiction to anyone looking for insightful but gentle stories about flawed, struggling people who have truly funny moments that reveal the folly of existence. As for the comfort I was seeking, I found it.
October 3, 2009
I absolutely loved this book. I always loved the movie as a little girl, but I hadn't watched it in some time. On a whim, I decided to buy it a couple of months ago. When I watched it, I noticed something I never had before. . ."Based on the book by. . ." I went online pretty much the second I saw that and I bought a used copy of it. I could NOT set it down. It went everywhere with me.
I believe Paul Gallico has a different style of writing than most people are used to today. . .and I can see where that would make it not right for some individuals. I, however, could not have been happier with it. Mr. Gallico is an excellent story teller and I can't wait to read some more of his work. Its a shame that so much of it is out of print these days.
I believe Paul Gallico has a different style of writing than most people are used to today. . .and I can see where that would make it not right for some individuals. I, however, could not have been happier with it. Mr. Gallico is an excellent story teller and I can't wait to read some more of his work. Its a shame that so much of it is out of print these days.
Read
December 6, 2016Because this was my favorite movie as a child (and I didn't then have the option to watch it over and over on DVD, but now I do) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fairly close, though not exactly, to the book. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and has made me want to watch the movie once again.
March 7, 2012
A favorite from my childhood. Really hard thing for a 10/12-year-old American girl to decipher dialog in accented Gaelic, but I doggedly pushed through it and reread it within a couple of years. For a bookworm with a constant list of to-reads, anything worth reading more than once is golden.
March 8, 2011
I love Paul Gallico. He really has insights into cats. This was a marvelous read about cats, people in different relationships.
January 11, 2021
I saw the movie long before I read the book, but it was a favorite in my childhood. The basic story is the same but a lot of the details are different. I've tried to imagine how I would have received the book if I had read it first, but find it impossible not to contrast it with the movie experience.
Mary MacDhui lives in a village in Scotland and loves her cat, Thomasina. Her father is the local vet, though he really wanted to be a doctor. Both are strong personalities and very stubborn.
When Thomasina is hurt in an accident, her father disappoints Mary so deeply that it looks as if she'll never recover. I won't go into details in case someone who has never read the book or seen the film runs into spoilers. The story made a good Disney film with strong characters and an unusual plot for a cat story. As a cat person, I can easily identify with Mary, even though she's a child.
The setting adds a lot of charm and part of the story is narrated by Thomasina herself. I enjoyed reading it again, despite being an adult. It is, however, a thing of its time. Some of the human reactions are less than fully believable and it is unintentionally misogynistic. The Gypsies are portrayed in a bad light and the plot continuity isn't nearly as good in the book as it is in the movie.
I'm glad I read it, but I think this is the last time for me.
Mary MacDhui lives in a village in Scotland and loves her cat, Thomasina. Her father is the local vet, though he really wanted to be a doctor. Both are strong personalities and very stubborn.
When Thomasina is hurt in an accident, her father disappoints Mary so deeply that it looks as if she'll never recover. I won't go into details in case someone who has never read the book or seen the film runs into spoilers. The story made a good Disney film with strong characters and an unusual plot for a cat story. As a cat person, I can easily identify with Mary, even though she's a child.
The setting adds a lot of charm and part of the story is narrated by Thomasina herself. I enjoyed reading it again, despite being an adult. It is, however, a thing of its time. Some of the human reactions are less than fully believable and it is unintentionally misogynistic. The Gypsies are portrayed in a bad light and the plot continuity isn't nearly as good in the book as it is in the movie.
I'm glad I read it, but I think this is the last time for me.
July 10, 2018
"It is a curious thing to be a goddess, all knowing, all powerful – and to be a cat as well."
This truly is a book for cat lovers who treat their feline companions as the little gods they were destined to be. Young Mary Ruadh and her ginger cat Thomasina are inseparable, until the horrifying day that her own father, an overly practical veterinarian who doesn’t quite understand the human/animal bond, makes a hasty decision to have the sick cat euthanized. The author does an amazing job portraying the indescribable loss of a companion animal and the indelible effects it has on a child’s psyche. I was absolutely riveted by the first half of this book, devouring the transformation and inner dialogue of Thomasina and the world of the Red Witch o’ the glen who cares for all the injured woodland creatures. The only drawback to the story, for me, was the weight Christianity had on the “miraculous” conclusion.
This truly is a book for cat lovers who treat their feline companions as the little gods they were destined to be. Young Mary Ruadh and her ginger cat Thomasina are inseparable, until the horrifying day that her own father, an overly practical veterinarian who doesn’t quite understand the human/animal bond, makes a hasty decision to have the sick cat euthanized. The author does an amazing job portraying the indescribable loss of a companion animal and the indelible effects it has on a child’s psyche. I was absolutely riveted by the first half of this book, devouring the transformation and inner dialogue of Thomasina and the world of the Red Witch o’ the glen who cares for all the injured woodland creatures. The only drawback to the story, for me, was the weight Christianity had on the “miraculous” conclusion.
May 1, 2021
Paul Gallico writes entertainingly in the mid-20th century style, more poetic and philosophical than contemporary writing. I enjoy the style. This is not my favourite of his novels, however. I don't like the protagonist and the plot is glued together by the kind of fairytale I wanted to believe as a child but which doesn't stand up to my adult scrutiny - it was neat but didn't satisfy. I didn't like it when I read it in my youth either, perhaps because Thomasina the cat is insufferably egotistical and I don't adhere to the philosophy that cats are naturally that way. His other cat novel, Jennie, I loved.
July 6, 2024
This will likely be the first Ashley's Novel to make it's way back to the charity shop from whence it came
Even an adoration for cats wasn't enough to help me enjoy this story. It's been on my list for a while, admittedly mainly added because of the cat on the cover and it's taught me the lesson that "don't judge a book by it's cover" is a two way street.
There were a couple of cute personifications for cats, but too few and too much of a slog through the countless unconcluded plotlines.
It does seem strange to give it 2 with such a scathing opinion, but cats are too cute and innocent not to get a pity point.
Even an adoration for cats wasn't enough to help me enjoy this story. It's been on my list for a while, admittedly mainly added because of the cat on the cover and it's taught me the lesson that "don't judge a book by it's cover" is a two way street.
There were a couple of cute personifications for cats, but too few and too much of a slog through the countless unconcluded plotlines.
It does seem strange to give it 2 with such a scathing opinion, but cats are too cute and innocent not to get a pity point.
May 14, 2020
I hadn't come across Thomasina before, though I have copies of The Small Miracle and The Snow Goose also by Paul Gallico and they are both about animals. Obviously that was Paul Gallico's forte.
I struggled a bit with his rendition of the Scottish accent but in general the story kept me absorbed all through. (I must find out how Disney portrayed Thomasina the cat.)
I struggled a bit with his rendition of the Scottish accent but in general the story kept me absorbed all through. (I must find out how Disney portrayed Thomasina the cat.)
January 17, 2021
“You are to be judged by childhood. The verdict will be rendered out of our way of seeing things and the sentence will be the contempt you have earned in our eyes.”
Here’s a lovely book that is abounding with wisdom and a flowery narrative style that is unfortunately largely forgotten. If you’re a cat lover, it’s for you.
Here’s a lovely book that is abounding with wisdom and a flowery narrative style that is unfortunately largely forgotten. If you’re a cat lover, it’s for you.
December 12, 2016
Thomasina: A Personal Reflection and Review by Alison Armstrong
Of all the books that have sparked my imagination and helped to shape my beliefs when I was growing up, Paul Gallico’s Thomasina: The Cat Who Thought She Was God had the most impact. This novel, interspersing first-person accounts from a cat’s perspective with a third-person narrative set in 1950s Scotland, enticed me with its blend of myth, fantasy, humor, sorrow, and its inspiring, Nature-revering spirituality.
Thomasina weaves together the fates of five main characters– Thomasina, a witty, perceptive, self-absorbed cat; her owner, Mary Ruadh MacDhui, a lonely little girl; Dr. Andrew MacDhui, her father, an embittered, arrogant, atheistic veterinarian; Andrew’s friend, Mr. Peddie, a gentle, loving clergyman who believes all living beings are sacred, and “mad” Lori, a reclusive young woman who lives alone in the wilderness and heals wounded animals. As in a Greek tragedy, MacDhui’s obstinate pride, combined with his lack of faith and lack of compassion, sets in motion a chain of events that can either lead to ruin or spiritual transformation. Although devoted to his young daughter, the widower MacDhui does not understand the intense loneliness Mary experiences as a result of her mother’s death. Left alone with a housekeeper while her father is at work, Mary turns to her cat, Thomasina, for comfort. When Thomasina suddenly falls gravely ill, MacDhui is too preoccupied trying to save a blind man’s guide dog and too convinced of Thomasina’s dire prognosis to try to save her. Ordering his assistant to put the cat to sleep, he disregards his daughter’s anguished pleas to spare her beloved pet. He does not realize that by his insensitive, uncaring actions he has inadvertently betrayed his daughter’s trust in him and caused her to fall into a deep, debilitating depression that will jeopardize her health. As Mary retreats further and further away from her father, her friends, and external reality, she loses her will to live. Thomasina, meanwhile, miraculously manages to survive her attempted murder, and, rescued by Lori, believes herself to be an incarnation of the ancient cat goddess Bast. Although no one else in the book shares her belief, Thomasina is not the only character whose faith in a divine power provides a revitalizing alternative to MacDhui’s bleak, cynical materialism. Peddie’s compassionate, all-embracing Christianity and Lori’s pantheistic spirituality offer the hope, purpose, and healing MacDhui and his severely depressed daughter so desperately need but do not know how to obtain on their own. Amdist the complex, interrelated threads of destiny ensnaring MacDhui, Peddie, Lori, Mary, and Thomasina, a path to redemption can be found, but first MacDhui must relinquish his imprisoning pride.
Gallico’s compelling exploration of Christian and pagan religious themes, animal consciousness, and childhood grief yields enthralling glimpses into a mystical, almost Edenic world where reverence for Nature, compassion and mysticism prevail against ruthless materialism. Revisiting Thomasina now as an adult, I find that the book has not lost any beauty, power or magic I remember from my first reading of it.
If anything, I value it even more because of the lasting influence it has had upon me. Through Thomasina I first became aware of non-Christian religions (ancient Egyptian and pagan Celtic), and in Lori, the gentle “witch” who healed the injured animals of the forest, I found my first heroine—a woman who existed apart from traditional society, independent, kind, wise, intuitive. Thomasina and Mary were equally memorable, symbolizing perhaps the animal I often wished I could transform myself into and the introspective, depressed child I actually was. The book started me on a journey which, like Thomasina’s revelatory adventures, led to self-discovery and a greater appreciation of life’s sacred mysteries.
Of all the books that have sparked my imagination and helped to shape my beliefs when I was growing up, Paul Gallico’s Thomasina: The Cat Who Thought She Was God had the most impact. This novel, interspersing first-person accounts from a cat’s perspective with a third-person narrative set in 1950s Scotland, enticed me with its blend of myth, fantasy, humor, sorrow, and its inspiring, Nature-revering spirituality.
Thomasina weaves together the fates of five main characters– Thomasina, a witty, perceptive, self-absorbed cat; her owner, Mary Ruadh MacDhui, a lonely little girl; Dr. Andrew MacDhui, her father, an embittered, arrogant, atheistic veterinarian; Andrew’s friend, Mr. Peddie, a gentle, loving clergyman who believes all living beings are sacred, and “mad” Lori, a reclusive young woman who lives alone in the wilderness and heals wounded animals. As in a Greek tragedy, MacDhui’s obstinate pride, combined with his lack of faith and lack of compassion, sets in motion a chain of events that can either lead to ruin or spiritual transformation. Although devoted to his young daughter, the widower MacDhui does not understand the intense loneliness Mary experiences as a result of her mother’s death. Left alone with a housekeeper while her father is at work, Mary turns to her cat, Thomasina, for comfort. When Thomasina suddenly falls gravely ill, MacDhui is too preoccupied trying to save a blind man’s guide dog and too convinced of Thomasina’s dire prognosis to try to save her. Ordering his assistant to put the cat to sleep, he disregards his daughter’s anguished pleas to spare her beloved pet. He does not realize that by his insensitive, uncaring actions he has inadvertently betrayed his daughter’s trust in him and caused her to fall into a deep, debilitating depression that will jeopardize her health. As Mary retreats further and further away from her father, her friends, and external reality, she loses her will to live. Thomasina, meanwhile, miraculously manages to survive her attempted murder, and, rescued by Lori, believes herself to be an incarnation of the ancient cat goddess Bast. Although no one else in the book shares her belief, Thomasina is not the only character whose faith in a divine power provides a revitalizing alternative to MacDhui’s bleak, cynical materialism. Peddie’s compassionate, all-embracing Christianity and Lori’s pantheistic spirituality offer the hope, purpose, and healing MacDhui and his severely depressed daughter so desperately need but do not know how to obtain on their own. Amdist the complex, interrelated threads of destiny ensnaring MacDhui, Peddie, Lori, Mary, and Thomasina, a path to redemption can be found, but first MacDhui must relinquish his imprisoning pride.
Gallico’s compelling exploration of Christian and pagan religious themes, animal consciousness, and childhood grief yields enthralling glimpses into a mystical, almost Edenic world where reverence for Nature, compassion and mysticism prevail against ruthless materialism. Revisiting Thomasina now as an adult, I find that the book has not lost any beauty, power or magic I remember from my first reading of it.
If anything, I value it even more because of the lasting influence it has had upon me. Through Thomasina I first became aware of non-Christian religions (ancient Egyptian and pagan Celtic), and in Lori, the gentle “witch” who healed the injured animals of the forest, I found my first heroine—a woman who existed apart from traditional society, independent, kind, wise, intuitive. Thomasina and Mary were equally memorable, symbolizing perhaps the animal I often wished I could transform myself into and the introspective, depressed child I actually was. The book started me on a journey which, like Thomasina’s revelatory adventures, led to self-discovery and a greater appreciation of life’s sacred mysteries.
October 10, 2025
As a child, I have many memories of seeing the Disney movie "The Three Lives of Thomasina" based on this book. It's one of Disney's best live-action films of the 1960s, but for some reason, I had never read the book. Now that I have, I can say the film, with the exception of a change in time periods, is one of Disney's more faithful adaptations.
As good as the movie is, the book is a much richer experience. While the film seems clearly aimed at a young audience, the book almost feels like it was meant for adults. Besides Thomasina, who narrates a number of chapters, the main focus of the book is really on Andrew MacDhui, the embittered veterinarian who was widowed and left a single father when his wife caught a disease from a sick parrot. Not only is Andrew suspicious of animals and completely mystified by peoples's sentimental attachments to them, he is also resentful of his own profession having been forced into it by his father when what he really wanted to be was a doctor for humans. It's ironic that a character who grew up wanting to help people ends up being responsible for his daughter's illness due to his callous attitude toward animals. Andrew MacDhui is not an easy character to like, but thanks to Gallico's skillful storytelling we do get a fairly good idea of what has made him into the man he has become. Over the course of the book, in a number of scenes between Andrew and his life-long friend, the Reverend Mr. Peddie, and in his growing relationship with "Daft" Lori, the witch of the glen (as she is known to the local village residents), Andrew's character gradually becomes more sympathetic.
Though the plot revolves around what happens to Thomasina and Andrew's daughter Mary, after Andrew makes a misdiagnosis and a rash decision, the overall story arc of the book could be looked at as a story of Andrew's redemption and the thawing of his heart when he learns to love again. This emphasis on the adult character of Andrew, a number of characters speaking in a heavy Scottish dialect, along with some violence in a gipsy encampment (gipsy is the term used in the book and one of the few things about the book that seems dated is the stereotypical treatment of this group of people) are some of the things that make the book feel like it's aimed at an older audience.
There are a few light fantasy elements to the story, namely that the animals can talk to one another, the character of "Daft" Lori has a seemingly magical way with animals and after suffering amnesia, Thomasina believes herself to be the reincarnation of the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet, but for the most part the story is rooted in the real world. By the way, going back to the movie, which Disney set in Edwardian times, I was suprised while reading the book to realize that the book takes place in 1957. I suppose it speaks to a certain timeless quality of the book that the story works equally well in either time period.
As familiar as I was with this story from having viewed the movie so many times, I was completely entranced by the book and sorry to see it come to an end.
As good as the movie is, the book is a much richer experience. While the film seems clearly aimed at a young audience, the book almost feels like it was meant for adults. Besides Thomasina, who narrates a number of chapters, the main focus of the book is really on Andrew MacDhui, the embittered veterinarian who was widowed and left a single father when his wife caught a disease from a sick parrot. Not only is Andrew suspicious of animals and completely mystified by peoples's sentimental attachments to them, he is also resentful of his own profession having been forced into it by his father when what he really wanted to be was a doctor for humans. It's ironic that a character who grew up wanting to help people ends up being responsible for his daughter's illness due to his callous attitude toward animals. Andrew MacDhui is not an easy character to like, but thanks to Gallico's skillful storytelling we do get a fairly good idea of what has made him into the man he has become. Over the course of the book, in a number of scenes between Andrew and his life-long friend, the Reverend Mr. Peddie, and in his growing relationship with "Daft" Lori, the witch of the glen (as she is known to the local village residents), Andrew's character gradually becomes more sympathetic.
Though the plot revolves around what happens to Thomasina and Andrew's daughter Mary, after Andrew makes a misdiagnosis and a rash decision, the overall story arc of the book could be looked at as a story of Andrew's redemption and the thawing of his heart when he learns to love again. This emphasis on the adult character of Andrew, a number of characters speaking in a heavy Scottish dialect, along with some violence in a gipsy encampment (gipsy is the term used in the book and one of the few things about the book that seems dated is the stereotypical treatment of this group of people) are some of the things that make the book feel like it's aimed at an older audience.
There are a few light fantasy elements to the story, namely that the animals can talk to one another, the character of "Daft" Lori has a seemingly magical way with animals and after suffering amnesia, Thomasina believes herself to be the reincarnation of the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet, but for the most part the story is rooted in the real world. By the way, going back to the movie, which Disney set in Edwardian times, I was suprised while reading the book to realize that the book takes place in 1957. I suppose it speaks to a certain timeless quality of the book that the story works equally well in either time period.
As familiar as I was with this story from having viewed the movie so many times, I was completely entranced by the book and sorry to see it come to an end.
October 21, 2016
A good book. I liked how the author was not so concerned with what faith a person has so long as they have faith in something greater than themselves. It was a point well illustrated, and definitely left out of the classic Disney flick which prompted me to read this book. I grew up watching the movie, and as soon as I learned there was a book I HAD to read it. I am not sure if it's something I'll tackle again. I would recommend it to people who enjoy cats. Gallico definitely knows cats. I'm interested in reading some of his other books. "Jenny" but also "The Poseidon Adventure" ... which was a great movie ... and I always cry when Shelley Winters dies. It's always fun discovering new authors who's stories you appreciated before you knew who they were. I'm like this with songs too. I think the Bast stuff were my favorite parts of the book. The cat trying to cast doom on the world. I so know that face. Any cat owner knows this face. This book also got me to tear up a couple of times. Not so much at the end, but in the first chapter when Rabbie is put down ... my heart broke. Yes, this was a good book.
March 8, 2012
So, here's the story. As a child I saw a movie based on this book. And it was Russian, not a Disney's one. I was amazed. I managed to find it on YouTube, if of course it'll do any good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=RU&am...
It's called "Безумная Лори" (Bezumnaya Lori / Mad Lori). And if you can get any subtitled version - go and see it. Keeping some recollections, very warm ones, I haven't seen it ever since, but one day I found a book on a shelf in the bookstore. Here's my twitpic where the book's cover is, in Russian:
- not that pretty. So, I'm off to the book. Where oh so many gingers. And that's including the cat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=RU&am...
It's called "Безумная Лори" (Bezumnaya Lori / Mad Lori). And if you can get any subtitled version - go and see it. Keeping some recollections, very warm ones, I haven't seen it ever since, but one day I found a book on a shelf in the bookstore. Here's my twitpic where the book's cover is, in Russian:
- not that pretty. So, I'm off to the book. Where oh so many gingers. And that's including the cat.
January 3, 2016
The strangest thing is, I'm not even a cat lover. Not really. I wouldn't say I'm a hater either, I identify myself as an animal lover - I love all of them in general, and cats are no exception. But I'm not one of those folks who obsess over cats. But this book has really captured me. I first read it as a child and even now, as an adult, I couldn't help but weep over it, feeling like my soul has been washed clean, lovingly - isn't that just an amazing feeling you get so rarely? It is an amazing, stand-out story of love, compassion, strength, loyalty, forgiveness, and purity. I love that it's not really normally labeled as a 'Christian' book, even though it bears an amazing and powerful message of God's loving kindness, because I feel like that if it were, many people would be turned away from reading it. While it is so worth being read, and re-read, and told about. Definitely compelling, moving, and very powerful read for all ages.
August 15, 2016
There is something so spellbinding about Gallico's writing. I have read most of his books and find the same magic in them all. He wrote about simple people in simple situations and yet he captured the essence of human greatness in their small and seemingly insignificant lives. One could be forgiven for forgetting their names or failing to mark their passing and yet their spirits linger like perfume long after closing the covers. Gallico makes me laugh, cry, marvel at and long to meet his characters. I fell in love with Thomasina, the wily, arrogant, delusional feline heroine of this charming tale of lost love and renewed hope. And I think that was Gallico's great genius...the way he captured life in a bubble and even when it inevitably burst as all bubbles do this reader was left with a sense of optimism, not only for the remaining characters but for the world itself. Thank you Mr Paul Gallico for leaving this world a little richer and a little wiser.
May 17, 2017
Revisited this favorite from childhood. My mother had almost all of Paul Gallico's books, and this is the one I remember best. There's an extraordinary mix of the conventional and the original in Thomasina-- fantasy and everyday life-- and my recollection is that is Gallico's hallmark. In some ways the book is very old-fashioned and some of the prose is long-winded in an overly expository way. And yet Gallico pulls off so much in this book. He explores themes of psychology, spiritual meaning, parent-child relationships, the nature of human and animal life. He experiments with form and narration in surprising ways. There's also a great deal of compassion and openmindedness, with the notable exception of a plot device involving an ugly depiction of Gypsies. Bonus: Scottish dialect. I'm not going to give away any of the plot, but I'm glad I read Thomasina again. Thinking I may be able to get my girls interested, especially if we can find a copy of the movie.
July 7, 2024
Ashley's novel 📚
1.5, rounded down
I wanted to like this book. I so wanted to like this book. It's about cats - what could go wrong? Well, sadly, quite a lot.
This was such a slog to get through because I just didn't want to pick it up - the main plot was averaging a 2 or 3⭐ but the chapters from the cat god's POV were a minus 10 out of 5 for me - I actually skipped one of those chapters, which I never do in a book, because I hated them so much. Add to that a confusing and bizarre main plot line (why was the girl dying? That's not how depression works, as far as I'm aware?), and it was not for me.
I understand there's a lot of meaning about faith in the book and parts were sweet (the father becoming nicer and finding hope and faith being one) but it wasn't enough to save it from the rubbish plot (and that bloody cat god character!!).
100% not for me!
1.5, rounded down
I wanted to like this book. I so wanted to like this book. It's about cats - what could go wrong? Well, sadly, quite a lot.
This was such a slog to get through because I just didn't want to pick it up - the main plot was averaging a 2 or 3⭐ but the chapters from the cat god's POV were a minus 10 out of 5 for me - I actually skipped one of those chapters, which I never do in a book, because I hated them so much. Add to that a confusing and bizarre main plot line (why was the girl dying? That's not how depression works, as far as I'm aware?), and it was not for me.
I understand there's a lot of meaning about faith in the book and parts were sweet (the father becoming nicer and finding hope and faith being one) but it wasn't enough to save it from the rubbish plot (and that bloody cat god character!!).
100% not for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2024
Paul Gallico's tale of Thomasina, the cat who must die to fully experience her life, was the subject of one of my favorite early 60s live action Walt Disney films (The Three Lives of Thomasina). Starring the wonderful Patrick McGoohan (one of my favorite male stars at the time) as a veterinarian, Karen Dotrice (of Mary Poppins fame) as his daughter whose ill cat he doesn't have the time to treat, I loved this film. A great young-adult novel as well, with some dark moments to thrill a young heart, Thomasina is a highly recommended read (and even as an adult, you may find yourself shedding a tear or two). Like Gallico's The Abandoned (Jennie), much of the story is told through the eyes of the cat.
January 25, 2016
This is one of my favorite books -- one I return to read again and again. This time I had to buy the book from England -- the Los Angeles library's only copy is in reference, all the others lost or stolen. The book is only slightly like the Disney film. It isn't really a children's book at all. Andrew is a veterinarian disappointed by life. Thomasina is also disappointed that she isn't worshiped as cats were in ancient Egypt. They are connected by Mary Ruadh, Andrew's daughter. It is a story of faith lost and found, immensely satisfying.
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