"A beautifully written story of betrayal and heartbreak."
At thirteen, Lottie discovers a huge secret which her parents have kept from her, the impact of which proves to be life-changing.
Because of the way Lottie’s mother handles the consequent fall-out, the two become distant. Lottie’s rejected by her mother and deemed troublesome, rude and willful. Ever since then, Lottie has struggled with fitting in and actively tries to be different from others.
As an adult, Lottie decides to quit her teaching job and follow her dreams to become an artist. But will she succeed and can she put her troubled past behind her?
As Lottie embarks on a journey of self-discovery she will come to examine the importance of life, love and friendship.
Praise for The Calico Cat
"I certainly couldn’t improve on this book in any way whatsoever, and am delighted to give it five well-deserved stars." —Grace Smith, Reviewerlady: Good 'n' Read~y
"The Calico Cat is a book to treasure and one which will strike a chord with readers everywhere." —Julie, Bookish Jottings
"The plot and story of how Lottie and those in her life has been done in a wonderful way that gradually drew me in." —Yvonne Bastian, Me And My Books
"This is a beautifully written story of betrayal and heartbreak that leads to a journey of self-discovery and eventual happy ending." —Lena Baker, The P.Turners Book Blog
"I highly recommend this poignant read, it truly is a beautiful book written by a very talented author." —Dash Fan Book Reviews
"A beautifully written, enchanting, and captivating novel which will highlight the importance of looking after number one." —Kaisha Holloway, The Writing Garnet
"The Calico Cat is a refreshing well-written story." —Philomena Callan, Cheekypee Reads And Reviews
"The setting is stunning and the plot is brilliantly written. A fabulous read." —Katie Jones, Katie's Book Cave
Amanda James is the best-selling author of the domestic noir thriller, Another Mother. The Calico Cat is an emotional and uplifting read which will appeal to fans of authors like Amanda Prowse and Carol Mason.
This is a story of self-discovery and acceptance, along with the chance to find love for the first time. I can relate to Lottie, I had a crappy childhood at times in different ways. Yet, I did find Lottie a bit irritating at times, I completely get that everyone deals with trauma in different ways but I found sometimes her behaviour a bit “off” and I did struggle to understand where she was coming from. However, about halfway through the story, something clicked between me and Lottie, maybe it was because she started to see life in a different light. She began to see that maybe her behaviour was not entirely just. Don’t get me wrong, she opened my eyes up to a few things. She asked questions which I had not thought of before and she was quite right with some of them.
However, she meets Louisa and what a change! She is the family she never had. Lottie’s real mother is absolutely despicable and such an awful person, you can see why Lottie closes herself off from the world and people. It is the grand story of nature vs nurture and which is the strongest to win out and like I said everyone deals with it in their own way. Like Lottie, I knew the type of person I did not want to be, yet, sometimes it seeps back in when you least expect. Not only does she meet Louisa, I just had to single her out, but on her walking holiday, she meets different people who impact her life and decisions without her even realising it. The interaction with these people are the building blocks on her journey.
I just did not know where the book was going, but the journey is one to hold dear to your heart. The growth of Lottie is one to admire, from not knowing what she wanted, and what she did not want. However, when she goes on a walking holiday with Caleb, a guy she use to work with, she discovers so much more and unfortunately, more betrayal which rocks her hard.
I tell you what though, I want my own Louisa. What a gorgeous soul. A woman who has lost what she holds dear and still finds a way to open her heart to people. She nudges Lottie as if she is a mouse finding the way to a slice of cheese. Small nudges in the right direction, asking her questions that she doesn’t want to face and ends up getting that dreaded word “closure.”
This is another book which is nothing like anything else that Mandy as written. Like a Calico cat, you can not pigeonhole this book. It is unique, it is sassy, it is independent but it is a lovely book, it is loyal to its course and it accepts that it is what it is, beautiful and uplifting.
