Customer Reviews

Thomasina

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I first encountered "Thomasina, The Cat Who Thought She Was God" in the library of my parochial grade-school, almost 40 years ago. I imagine the deacons were utterly unaware of what a "subversive", shamanic book they were providing their 2nd-grade student! Perhaps they were lulled by the innocuous Disney film version. Certainly they could not suppose that Paul Gallico would write "merely" a simple cat-story? For it is the combined power of Christianity and Paganism, interwoven with the ancient Egyptian cat-magick of Bubastis, which saves the souls of all the characters of this story. Set in rural Scotland in the early 50's, this is the tale of hard-hearted widowed veterinarian Andrew McDhui, his little daughter, and her beloved cat Thomasina. Resentful of his daughter's affection for her pet, he callously orders Thomasina destroyed. When his child falls ill from grief, it takes all the love of the village bairns, the Protestant vicar, the feared and misunderstood Red Witch of the Glen -- and the interference of the Divine Feline, Bast Herself -- to bring about a miracle and restore McDhui's faith in God. This is an inspired story about the many Paths which can be taken to that faith, and the varied and equally-legitimate aspects of God/dess. Bast has walked beside me since I first met Her through "Thomasina". Even now, as I reread the book every few years, I find it an emotionally-draining but spiritually-uplifting experience. And yes, it is also a good cat-story.

This is a favorite story from my childhood, my children's childhoods, and now I have a granddaughter who loves it too!
Disney made it into a movie that was good, but reading Paul Gallico's original story is so much better!
Highly recommended for ANY animal or book lover!

This is a story of love and redemption written by Paul Gallico.
Thomasina (the cat) narrates most parts of the story of a little girl named Mary Rudah and her father Andrew, who is a widower and the veterinarian in a small Scottish town. When Thomasina becomes ill, Andrew callously puts aside his daughter's begging to help her beloved kitty and orders it destroyed.
To Mary, Thomasina is more than a pet - she is her special friend and the loss is traumatic. But Thomasina is not actually dead - she is found by "Mad Lori" - a shy, young woman who is more comfortable with animals than she is with people.
If you have seen the movie "Thomasina", this is the book the movie was based upon - and it is better (if possible) than the movie.
I'll be honest here - I've been trying to track down this book for many years - it was well worth the hunt!!The Three Lives of ThomasinaThe AbandonedJennie

It took me a whole month to get to the middle of the book and then I stopped reading it. I simply did not feel like reading it any more. I felt everything was so fake, too much "made-up" with poor taste. I did not like the father's character at all. The book was just not for me.