Book description
The heart-warming true story of a little boy and the cat that changed
his life.
Nine year old George was severely autistic; quiet and withdrawn, he
appeared lost in his own world most of the time. His mother Julia
despaired, but try as she might she couldn't bring him out of his shell.
Then one day a small, black-and-white stray cat appeared at the bottom
of her garden and George's face lit up at the sight of him. Despite
herself Julia agreed to adopt him as a pet.
George named his new friend Ben, and the four-legged addition to the
household had a wonderful and unexpected side-affect. George and Ben
bonded, and George began to open up; to play with Ben, to converse with
him and make up stories about their adventures together to excitedly
recount to Julia. For Julia this was a magical way to communicate with
her son - and Ben had made it possible.
For three happy years, the trio were inseparable and George made
remarkable progress. But then disaster struck - Ben went missing. The
small cat who had coaxed George out of a world of silence had
disappeared, and nobody could find him.
George was utterly devastated and, pining for his lost friend, he began
to retreat into himself. Sensing her son was slipping through her
fingers once more, Julia embarked on a desperate search; a search that
would see her travelling across numerous counties, risking injury and
enlisting help from all different places, and all different people.
The weeks turned into months, and Christmas was fast approaching but
George did not want to celebrate without Ben by his side. Julia
privately despaired of ever finding her son's best friend but four days
before Christmas Day, during the worst snowfall ever, Julia got a call
from a family living in Brighton, over 50 miles from their home in
London, which finally offered a ray of hope …
Captivating, uplifting and genuinely touching, A Friend like Ben is the
remarkable true story about the extraordinary devotion and empathy
between a little boy and his cat, and a mother's determined journey to
make her son whole again. 'Julia paints a vivid picture of the
symptoms and effects of autism… A truly inspirational biography.' Hull
Daily Mail
'A very interesting read which is both uplifting and informative.'
South Wales Argus
'A satisfying true story… the perfect Christmas gift for a cat lover.'
The Weekend Examiner
'Heart-warming… perfect winter reading.' Your Cat Magazine Julia Romp
lives in Isleworth with her son George and their cat Ben. When she is
not looking after her family and the stray cats in the area, Julia works
for the charity Lost and Found helping to re-home cats. After her
success of her campaign to find Ben, Julia has become known as the local
pet detective.
