Twelve-year-old Ella never expected to lose so much in a single year-her home, her family as she knew it, and the beloved stray cat named Silver who once filled her world with warmth. But just when it seems like everything familiar has slipped away, life offers a quiet kind of hope in the form of a new town, a new friend named Sage, and a cat named Muffin who belongs to someone else... yet seems to understand Ella in a way no one else can.
The Cat I Kept is a tender, emotionally rich coming-of-age story about love, loss, and the invisible threads that hold us together. As Ella finds courage to draw again, write again, and feel again, she learns that sometimes, keeping something doesn't mean holding on-it means remembering with your whole heart.
For readers who cherish bittersweet stories, animal companions, and the quiet triumphs of growing up, this is a heartfelt journey of healing and the quiet power of letting go