Bono

If you haven't read any of New Zealand author Helen Brown's books, you're missing out. 

I first stumbled across Helen Brown looking for a book to read while on holiday in Melbourne. We'd just got a dog - a little puppy we called Dollar and who has been in a way a substitute for a child we were not able to have.

So it was 2012 and we were off on holiday to Melbourne - a 40th birthday present from my husband. Whenever I go on holiday I always really miss Dollar.and that leads to buying books about animals.

And that's how I spotted a book called Cleo written by Brown about a cat who had helped her through the most traumatic time of losing her young son.  I remember being engrossed in the book on the flight over to and back from Melbourne. I later read After Cleo came Jonah  and I'v just finished Brown's latest book called Bono. 

In this book Brown writes about her time in New York where she in part had gone to promote her earlier books but also to take stock of her life. Before even arriving in New York, she was asked if she would take on a terminally ill rescue cat during her stay there. Enter Bono. At first things don't look too good with Bono. He's struggling to settle into his new home and Brown has second thoughts about him staying. I won't give too much more of the book away but it's a heartwarming read about how animals can help us humans.

This book made me think a lot about how our dog Dollar, who's now nearly 7, has helped us. One of my favourite moments of the day is to sit on our couch with a cup of tea and a biscuit (for humans) with Dollar curled on my lap.  

If you enjoyed Brown's first two cat-related books, you will love Bono too.