The Ghost Cat: 12 decades, 9 lives, 1 cat

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decades, 9 lives, 1 cat: The Ghost Cat is a spirit-feline destined to live out his ghostly existence according to the medieval proverb of “The Cat with Nine Lives” – For Three He Plays, For Three He Strays, For Three He Stays. We follow Grimalkin, the cat, as his ghostly self traverses through decade after decade in accordance to the old English proverb; for three, he stays, for three he strays, and for three he plays. So for three, he haunts, for three he roams, and for three, he can interact as a poltergeist (oOOooOoOoOHhh)

All of the characters are so diverse and are perfectly crafted in retrospect to their decade, which brought about this extra umph to them. Alex did an amazing job of creating such characters, and the complexities of it all show and pay off.

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Despite his passing Grimalkin gets granted nine lives as the proverb goes "For Three He Plays, For Three He Strays, For Three He Stays". Only they are as a ghost cat which at times I felt so sorry for him as he could see everyone but they couldn't see him.

Join us for a special book event with bestselling author, TikTok sensation and former-Mercat Storyteller, Alex Howard. Once opened, The Ghost Cat is impossible to stop reading, however, not to worry as this is a story you will want to return to time and time again. Grimalkin the cat is our guide through over 100 years of a residence in Edinburgh and it's changing residents and decoration. We also get to witness the discoveries and achievements of those living at the time, such as the discovery of penicillin and the Coronation and demise of Elizabeth II.

It’s common knowledge that cats have nine lives, what’s not so commonly know is that those nine lives are split into three types of life; three lives where they stay, three where they stray and three where they play. When Grimalkin the cat reaches the grand age of 15 and passes over to the other side, he becomes a ghost cat, able to live out the rest of his 9 lives from 1902 to 2023, observing the changing world around him. All cats have nine lives on planet Earth - three lives when they stay, three when they stray and three when they play.” The Ghost Cat is a historical, cosy and heartwarming book that I really enjoyed reading. I’m a big cat lover anyway (as you might be able to tell from the cat items in this picture) so this book was totally up my alley but it also has a little something for everyone. It’s comical at times, very heartwarming and all wrapped up into a really interesting exploration of history. Follow The Ghost Cat as he witnesses the changes of the next two centuries as he purrs, shuffles and sniffs his way through the fashion, politics and technological advances of the modern era alongside the ever-changing inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement. As we follow our new spirit-feline friend, this unique story unearths some startling revelations about the mystery of existence and the human condition and provides a feel-good read full of charm for any fan of history, humour and fur-ridden fun. An entertaining and unique story, moving in parts. Something for everyone whether you enjoy history, nostalgia, Edinburgh, ghostly goings on or endearing cats.

This is to be the cat's last day on earth. But he is going to return... as The Ghost Cat, a spirit-feline destined to live out his ghostly existence according to the medieval proverb of "The Cat with Nine Lives" - For Three He Plays, For Three He Strays, For Three He Stays. There's no better place to hear about some of the inspirations for the book, than directly above the Blair Street Underground Vaults…Bestselling author and former-Mercat Storyteller, Alex Howard, talks about his new novel; The Ghost Cat, in a special Q&A and book signing. It was also during his PhD that he became fascinated by the behaviour of a local cat, which prompted the creation of a blog. This went on to become his debut novel, Library Cat. The novel won the People's Book Prize and was translated into Korean, French and Italian. Alex has been published in New Writing Scotland, The London Magazine, Gutter and Orbis. He has also been invited to read at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and won The Charles Causley Poetry Prize.