Megan Lloyd Davies

A Friend Like Ben

by Julia Romp & Megan Lloyd Davies

Nine-year-old George was severely autistic and his mother Julia had never found a way to bring him out of his shell. Then one day she adopted a black-and-white stray cat and Julia found a magical way to communicate with her son as George began to open up after bonding with his new pet. But three years later Ben went missing and Julia knew that her son was slipping through her fingers once more. Embarking on a desperate search to find the cat which had changed her and George's lives forever, she knew she had to do whatever it took to bring Ben home and make George whole again.

With a fresh, honest, and frequently funny voice, despite the considerable hardships depicted, Romp offers a moving story that comes from the heart - Publishers Weekly

Julia was a single mother who tirelessly spent year trying to connect with her autistic son George. But she never found a way to truly do so until she adopted a ragged cat called Ben who transformed their lives forever. The book is honest, funny and warm – just like Julia herself. Her ability to keep hope alive even at the darkest times, her devotion to George and her generosity towards others – people and animals alike – make her a truly special person. Real life really can be more amazing than fiction and this book proves that.

A Friend Like Ben was published by Harper Collins. Translation rights sold in Italy, Holland, Germany, France and the USA.