The Abandoned

Novel: The Abandoned
Author: Paul Gallico
Published by: New York Review of Books 435 Hudson Street, New York, NY. 11104
Copy write 1950 by Paul Gallico renewed @ 1978 by Virginia Gallico, and William Gallico
Genre: fiction
Page count: 307 with no illustrations inside book
Cover Art: Charles Curry-Hyde
ISBN 978-1-59017-626-9
Electronic book #: 978-1-59017-644-3
Review by: Allen Klingelhoets

The summery of book says: When peter, an eight year old London boy with neglectful parents and a distant nanny, is transformed into a cat after rescuing a stray, Jennie from being hit by a truck, Jennie takes care of him despite her contempt for humans.

I read novel in matter of days. It was very interesting to see story through the eyes of a cat. Nothing was easy for Peter. There were constant battles to survive. I am not sure of the exact year story is told. There are mentions of bombed out London buildings. I would guess time period would be sometime after 1945. The story explores what it would be like for Peter to turn into white cat. The book explains how he turned into cat.

How would Peter adapt to being cat? How would he learn to catch mice? Would he like the flavor of a mouse?

These are only some of the challenges Peter has to resolve being a cat. Jennie taught Peter “when in doubt wash.” She taught him how to clean himself with his tongue.

This was an amazing novel well worth effort to read through library or electronic book. There is question of how will Peter return to form of boy? There is even some high sea adventure. Jennie and Peter earn their passage on ship by capturing mice and even a rat.

Paul Gallico wrote many emotional chapters. He brought characters to very real situations. I felt like right with Peter when Jennie taught him how to kill mice and rats. Peter could no longer communicate to people he was a human boy. Jennie was the only cat that knew secret that Peter he was a boy. She taught him how to take care of himself. It was very hard for him to survive as a stray. All people heard was a “meow.” The pads of his feet could feel cold and dampness of London streets. Nothing was easy. Jennie and Peter might get chased by dogs. Peter went up to one person that seemed nice to him only to have his tail pulled. One time Jennie and Peter tried to escape some dogs chasing them. Jennie and Peter ended up going high up on suspension bridge. They had to be rescued because Jennie was afraid of heights.

There also was a tom cat named Dempsey. He was villain. He and Peter had two fights in “The Abandoned.”

There were some tense turmoil scenes. I quickly learned that a cat does not have 9 lives. Cats are very sensitive to environment. How could cat survive things like having tail pulled or being afraid of heights? How could they survive if suddenly found fallen overboard from ship they were protecting from mice and rats? Those are parts of novel best to read for yourself.

I think teen to adult fiction novel. I also think would be great cartoon or even movie.

I also found out Paul Gallico wrote The Snow Goose in 1941. He also wrote “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1968.

This is what back cover states about “The Abandoned”.

London has not been kind to Peter, a lonely boy whose parents are always out to parties, and though Peter would love to have a cat for company, his nanny won’t hear of it. One day as Peter is walking out the door, he sees a truck bearing down on a tabby, dashing out to save the cat he is struck by the oncoming truck himself.

Everything is different when Peter comes to. He has fur, whiskers and claws: he has become a cat himself! But London isn’t any kinder to kids than it is to children. Jenny a savvy stray who takes care of Peter, knows that all too well. Jennie schools young Peter in the ways of cats, including how to sniff out a nice napping spot, the proper way to dine on a mouse, and the single most important tactic a cat can learn: “When in doubt, wash.” Jennie and Peter face many challenges and not all of them are from the dangerous outside world – in their struggle to find a place that is truly home.


Allen Klingelhoets


Dedicated to my sister Linda Dreyer.
This was one of her favorite books.
Linda passed away on May 7th, 2019.