Alfie is homeless, abandoned after his elderly owner passes away. But when he stumbles on to Edgar Road, Alfie knows he's found his new home. However, the street's residents don't agree - the last thing they need is another stray cat, and he is shooed away from many doorsteps.
But as life throws its worst at the residents of Edgar Road, they soon realise how much they all need Alfie - a cat who brings hope to the darkest times, and who will always be a friend to those in need.
When Alfie's elderly owner passes away, her daughter and son-in-law plan on taking Alfie to a shelter. Alfie has heard that shelters are not a good place for cats (he may be euthanized) so he decides to strike out on his own and find a new home. But Alfie has been a well-cared for and well-loved cat so he's not sure what to do or where to go.
After wandering around for a long time, he ends up on Edgar Road, hungry and thin. Along the way, he had been given the advice by other cats to look for a family with children as he will have a good chance of being taken in. He finds a new home with Claire (a recent divorcée), Jonathan (who lost his job in Singapore and moved back to London,) a young Polish family with two children who recently moved to London and don't know anyone, and young couple who recently had a baby. As Alfie spends time with his four new families (he splits his time with Claire and Jonathan at night and the families during the day), he discovers they are all sad and though it's time consuming and a lot of responsibility, it's up to him to make things right for them.
This is the first in Alfie series (there are currently five in the series) and I just discovered them this week. It is written in first person perspective in Alfie's voice. We can see the conversations he has with other cats. Plus he understands the conversations of humans around him (rather than "blah blah blah blah blah Alfie blah blah blah). Though he can't talk back to them in their language, he does try to communicate in cat-talk and expressions.
When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure who the target audience was since it was about a cat. I quickly realized that it's for an adult reader as it deals with more mature themes. I liked the writing style. As I said, it's in Alfie's voice and I kind of forgot that he was a cat because he has so many human qualities.
I look forward to reading the others in this series.
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