Something Worth Saving

Sandi Ward

Dec 2018 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

“The family pets see so much more than anyone realizes in this family drama . . . Told with empathy and hope” by the author of What Holds Us Together (Booklist).
 
A boy and his cat. It’s an unconventional friendship, perhaps, but for Charlie and Lily, it works beautifully. It was Charlie who chose Lily from among all the cats in the shelter. He didn’t frown, the way other humans did, when he saw her injured back leg, the legacy of a cruel previous owner. Instead, Charlie insisted on rescuing her. Now Lily wants to do the same for Charlie. 
 
She’s the only one who’s seen the bruises on Charlie’s body. If she knew who was hurting him, she’d scratch their eyes out. But she can’t fix this by herself. Lily needs to get the rest of the family to focus on Charlie—not easy when they’re wrapped up in their own problems. Charlie’s mother kicked his father out weeks ago and has a new boyfriend who seems charming, but is still a stranger. Oldest son Kevin misses his father desperately. Victoria, Charlie’s sister, also has someone new in her life, and Lily is decidedly suspicious. Even Charlie’s father, who Lily loves dearly, is behaving strangely.
 
Lily knows what it’s like to feel helpless. But she also knows that you don’t always have to be the biggest or the strongest to fight fiercely for the ones you love . . .
 
“Powerful and smartly written, Ward explores the intricate workings of family life with a compassionate touch and unflinching honesty.”—Lisa Duffy, author of My Kind of People

Ratings and reviews

This book surprised me in that I really wanted to keep on reading to find out what happened but I didn't want to go thru it too fast either. It's a sweet story really and I loved that the main character was a very intelligent and loving cat ! This book will charm you...

What a fabulous, moving, heart-stirring novel! I don't remember whose blog I read about it on, but I am so glad I did! This novel grabs cat lovers by the heartstrings and holds on through the end. The Anderson family challenges are brought to color and life through the heart of Lily, who is Charlie's best friend and soul mate. Charlie is now 14 years old, and many changes are going on in his family. He adopted Lily, injured leg and all, because as we see throughout this beautiful tale, everyone is something worth saving. Lily now sees something that is disturbing, moreso than Dad being asked to leave the house by Mom a few weeks ago. One of the days Charlie leaves school early, she sees that he has more bruises on his side, not for the first time. She is very worried and determines to go to any lengths to find out who is hurting him. She knows how it feels to be bullied and harmed, and doesn't want that for her favorite person. Lily's telling of the drama she sees unfold in the family home is amazing. She studies the people around her closely and does her best to understand them. Understanding and observing, she shows us, are keys to improving relationships and caring about people. I can recognize some of the behaviors in my own cats, and would like to think that they are as concerned about me as I am about them! There are times of fear and times of joy, especially as new stressors enter the family and while Lily tries to discover who is hurting Charlie. Because we know that bullies rarely go away on their own, they often only get worse. The dynamics of the many broken or wounded people in this novel somehow works together for a very satisfying whole. There are many surprises throughout, especially when seeing some of the characters for who they really are rather than the layers of facade presented to the world. Many changes are in store for this family, changes that Lily can lead the way in showing how to accept and live with. Her wisdom is lovingly realistic even though at times would hurt a human heart. For example, she is matter-of-fact about how her life will be shorter than those of her loved ones, which is hard for we cat mamas to accept. The resolutions that take place at the end open a whole new world for the Andersons and their friends. I was satisfied with most of the changes, and only Lily's perspective could help me with one of them. Because life isn't static, changes are a fact, and that particular change is only temporary. This is one story that I would love to see a follow-up to! Lily also demonstrates her love of nature by how she describes her outdoor experiences. She describes the change of seasons beautifully by scents, sights, colors, and sounds. I highly recommend this novel to those who know a close relationship with a feline and appreciate the challenges of a fully-dysfunctional family trying to heal. This is a novel that one will go back to re-read, perhaps a little more slowly, to reconsider some of Lily's wisdom and lessons.

This has been very enlightening, I very much enjoyed the book!

About the author

Sandi Ward is the author of The Astonishing Thing and Something Worth Saving. She received her MA in Creative Writing from NYU and is a copywriter at an advertising agency. Sandi grew up in New England and now lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband, teenagers, dog, and a big black cat named Winnie. Visit Sandi at sandiwardbooks.com.