Monday, November 9, 2015

Foster CAT Foster KID: GOD Says You Don't Have to Eat Dirt Anymore! Book Review

In the introduction to her book, Foster CAT Foster KID: GOD Says You Don't Have to Eat Dirt Anymore!, Katherine Jones tells you that she is writing for four audiences: Animal Loving Readers, Foster Care Community Readers, Abuse Survivor Readers and People of Faith Readers. Katherine does a great job of addressing all of those topics in her book. I fit into all of those groups. Katherine's love of animals and her belief in God helped her though her childhood struggles with incest and her mom's mental illness. Like many abused and neglected children, Katherine took on an adult role early in her childhood, protecting her younger sister and her mother from what she could. Katherine shares her experiences in and out of foster care and living with a mother who was mentally ill.

The Foster CAT in Katherine's book was named Good Boy by her husband when he found him living in an abandoned lumber yard next to where he worked. The adoption of Good Boy into their family created an opportunity of healing for Good Boy and for Katherine that makes the reading of Katherine's book so inspiring. I would recommend this book to all of my friends. Katherine is a survivor of incest and of the foster care system that is today failing so many of our children. She is an advocate for animals, for abused children, and for those who are in the foster care community. Thank you Katherine for sharing your healing journey.
Patricia

2 comments:

Unknown said...

While I won't say this book is easy to read, especially since I come right out of the gate in the beginning of the book with tales of my abuse, I'm so glad you understood that the overall message of my book was that of having others understand my journey, the healing that took place with God's help, a special cat that came into my life, and how it brought me into my advocacies. I sense that you related, however fortunate or unfortunate they may be, to some of the abuse I suffered as a child, but the fact that you could make it through that part of my book shows that you have done some healing yourself, and for that I am glad. Thank you for reading my book. I hope it helped you understand just how much YOU MATTER in this world of uncertainty, change, and seemingly hopeless situations you may have endured that may have made you feel no one cared if you existed, as I used to feel at one time in my life. May the blessings that came from my trials help you understand that, even though you may not see it at the time, the trials of your own life carry blessings with them as well. Bless you!

Patricia Singleton said...

Thank you Katherine. Yes, I have incest in my childhood and years of healing as an adult that have gotten me to where I am today. I, too, see the struggles as blessings that I grew and learned from. I would not be who I am today without those trials and without my faith in God and in myself. There are differences in our experiences and the feelings of abandonment, betrayal and fear are the same. The low self-worth and the tears, the silence and taking on adult responsibilities too young were also a part of my childhood that I could relate to in your story. Setting myself up to protect my mother and my younger sister was part of my story too. I thank you for the courage to share your story and your healing with others. We do all matter and you and I are making a difference for other survivors.