two years ago, I was honored when Arabella Carter-Johnson wrote a guest post for us, introducing us to her very special autistic daughter Iris and her Maine Coon cat Thula, who was instrumental in helping Iris open up and communicate in ways that she hadn’t done before. because then, the pair have captured the world’s heart through their Facebook page and other media outlets.
In Iris Grace: The story of a little girl Whose talent Unlocked Her silent World, Iris’ mother chronicles the amazing journey of helping her significantly autistic daughter. For the first few years of Iris’ life, she barely communicated whatsoever and hardly even looked at her mother. Eventually, she discovered that Iris had an remarkable talent: she began to paint, and art functioned as an outlet to express her spirit.
But it wasn’t until the family chose to get Thula, a Maine Coon kitten, that Iris started to blossom. The intuitive kitten was able to reach Iris in ways even her mother hadn’t been able to. Iris became much more confident and interacted much more with the world around her.
Carter-Johnson invites the reader into her home. Within the first few pages, I found myself drawn into the family’s world: their stunning garden, Iris’ play room, and the area surrounding their home. but much more importantly, Carter-Johnson shares intimate details of the family’s life, and she lays bare her heart. The first half of the book is not an easy read. I found it viscerally uncomfortable to follow Carter-Johnson’s struggles with her unresponsive daughter. I admired her unrelenting drive to find new ways to reach her little girl, but even much more so, I was deeply moved by the sheer force of her unconditional love for Iris.
When Thula joins the family, everything changes. Iris starts to communicate, first with Thula, and then with her parents, and the larger world around her. The bond between Thula and Iris is beyond amazing – if ever there was a soul mate relationship, this is certainly it.
Beautifully illustrated and written, with spectacular photographs by Carter-Johnson, this book profoundly touched my heart. I did not expect this to be the kind of book I couldn’t put down, but I found myself turning the pages long into the night. This book is not only a testament to the healing power of cats, but also a moving story of the unconditional love of a mother for her remarkable daughter, and of how, as it states on Iris Grace’s website, “thousands of candles can be lit by a single candle.”
The book trailer offers a fantastic peek into the world of Iris and Thula:
Iris Grace is available from Amazon.
Interior images ©Arabella Carter-Johnson, used with permission
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. All reviews on this site will always reflect my truthful and unbiased opinion.
Ingrid King
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6 comments on Iris Grace: how Art and a special cat Unlocked a little Girl’s silent World
Maria says:
May 13, 2016 at 12:50 pm
For some reason, I saved this post for reading later – I in some cases do when I know I will be so moved or touched, I need to rest afterwards.
It was a good choice; I read, read again, impressed by the fantastic photos of this stunning girl and her equally stunning cat. The video is ..well, awesome, can’t find a better word.
Not a comparison, but here in Sweden, numerous homes for elderly suffering from Alzheimer’s have taken in cats because they make everybody pleased and “bloom”. No doubt cats (and dogs, I admit) have a healing power on people. My Life would not be as good without having cats in it!
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Ingrid says:
May 13, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Isn’t this a fantastic story, Maria? I, too, have heard accounts where cats (and dogs, too) help Alzheimer’s patients. I hope that much more and much more facilities will have therapy animals in the future.
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maru clavier says:
April 29, 2016 at 11:39 am
Moving!
Love the vid.
The power of cats as healers never ceases to amaze me.
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Janine says:
April 29, 2016 at 8:12 am
Such a terrific story. I can’t wait to read this book.
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Jennifer says:
April 29, 2016 at 7:38 am
Utterly incredible story! thank you for drawing our attention to it Ingrid.
God bless this family.
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Summer says:
April 29, 2016 at 4:11 am
This sounds like such a special book. My human knows how magical and healing the relationship between cats and humans can be – the one between Iris and Thula is even much more special than that.
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