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Where the Irises Bloom
In the big city, everyone has a story — even the lost souls. Life on the streets can be tough for a kitten. Between neighborhood hooligans, trains and traffic whizzing past, unforgiving weather, and grumpy raccoons competing over scraps of food in the garbage cans, every day is a struggle to survive. Although lost and afraid among the tall, glimmering buildings and their shadowy alleyways below, Fern soon discovers she’s not alone. She’s seen him before, huddled in the cold by the old tavern. Mother taught her to be wary of the people, but when she takes a chance on him, she learns he has a story, too. Together, they just might save each other. From the author of the acclaimed novel Chasing the Blue Sky comes the compelling, poignant tale of the unusual bond between a stray kitten and a homeless man.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 8, 2019
179 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
January 4, 2020
Thank you,Will. Your book moved me to tears. This a beautiful tribute to the homeless in our country, both humans and animals
I am so touched by this story. From a kittenS prospective, it is has all the feels , good and bad.
I am so touched by this story. From a kittenS prospective, it is has all the feels , good and bad.
January 7, 2020
Unlikely friends
I love cats, and after starting this I wasn't sure I could read it. I knew there would be many tears as this little cat faced the dangers of the city by here after losing her family. I loved John for his kindness to her, and Malcolm for his final kindness for John and Fern.
I love cats, and after starting this I wasn't sure I could read it. I knew there would be many tears as this little cat faced the dangers of the city by here after losing her family. I loved John for his kindness to her, and Malcolm for his final kindness for John and Fern.
February 8, 2020
How sad to know that people are perishing like John did in this story. Especially in this great and bountiful land, and animals are also living and dying out there.
I love animals, especially kitties, and was profoundly touched by this story.
Thank you for sharing this sory with all your readers.
I love animals, especially kitties, and was profoundly touched by this story.
Thank you for sharing this sory with all your readers.
January 12, 2020
This is excellent exposure, I think, to the loneliness and fear of having no support system, no place. It's not trite. It's not evasive. Written entirely at six inches above the ground. Searching, finding, loss.
January 23, 2020
WOW!!!
What a great book! The author has a wonderful way of writing that really paints a picture of what's going on. His descriptions are beautiful. Yes, this book is pretty sad in some parts, but it is SO GOOD. It made me smile, cry, giggle, and warmed my heart.
What a great book! The author has a wonderful way of writing that really paints a picture of what's going on. His descriptions are beautiful. Yes, this book is pretty sad in some parts, but it is SO GOOD. It made me smile, cry, giggle, and warmed my heart.
January 2, 2020
Life, from a stray kittens point of view.
A easy paced story, of life from a stray kittens point of view. Interesting with good character buildup. I enjoyed the story.
A easy paced story, of life from a stray kittens point of view. Interesting with good character buildup. I enjoyed the story.
January 16, 2020
Great book!!!!!!!!!
I loved your story about fern !!!!!It was a great and touching shorty you should write more cat stories I would love to read them !!!!
I loved your story about fern !!!!!It was a great and touching shorty you should write more cat stories I would love to read them !!!!
February 21, 2020
A sad yet beautiful book, Where the Irises Bloom gives an accurate account of life on the streets in a big and unforgiving city for a homeless veteran and a kitten. I am glad I read it.
April 23, 2021
This was a very different read for me, but I love stories told from an animal's point of view. The story moves a bit slow, put tugs the reader along, nevertheless. The author had me pulling for the main characters. An inspiring, yet heartbreaking read. The ending made me tear up. Overall a good read.
August 28, 2021
5++++++ stars ⭐️
I can say without exaggerating that no other book has ever made me cry more than this one.
So beautiful, poetic but also absolutely heartbreaking and sad.
This is the book I will from now on gift to my friends and family whenever there is an occasion.
Must read for everyone who has a heart and empathy.
I can say without exaggerating that no other book has ever made me cry more than this one.
So beautiful, poetic but also absolutely heartbreaking and sad.
This is the book I will from now on gift to my friends and family whenever there is an occasion.
Must read for everyone who has a heart and empathy.
April 15, 2025
Very sad and dramatic, but also a bit boring. 😔😔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2020
Life is good when the calico kitten Fern lives with her little brother Percy and her Mother on an abandoned farm. But one day a group of teenage boys in their car shoot the Mother, and terrorize the kittens, changing everything. Fern and Percy don't have any Mother to teach them the ways of life or hunt for them, and the boys come back again and again to scare them away and laugh, and Fern and her brother live in fear.
One day Fern decides to leave her no longer safe home and into the unknown of the great city. Her weak brother dies on the journey by a train, and now Fern has to live on dumpster rubbish and sleep under piles of bricks and pipes.
Different boys come and terrorize her again, and she is hungry and scared, but when she finds herself watching a homeless man called John everyday, she gets curious and comes over to him.
This is a wonderful, touching story of John and Fern and the special bond between the two, sleeping on top of each other and sharing food.
If you have a place in your heart for cats and don't mind a few tears, you will love this book. Some parts are sad but it is mostly touching, as it follows the story of Fern.
Five stars!
One day Fern decides to leave her no longer safe home and into the unknown of the great city. Her weak brother dies on the journey by a train, and now Fern has to live on dumpster rubbish and sleep under piles of bricks and pipes.
Different boys come and terrorize her again, and she is hungry and scared, but when she finds herself watching a homeless man called John everyday, she gets curious and comes over to him.
This is a wonderful, touching story of John and Fern and the special bond between the two, sleeping on top of each other and sharing food.
If you have a place in your heart for cats and don't mind a few tears, you will love this book. Some parts are sad but it is mostly touching, as it follows the story of Fern.
Five stars!
April 6, 2022
I selected this book because I really enjoyed another by the same author. I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"Where the Irises Bloom" is a shorter (178 pages) novella(?) about a homeless cat befriended by a homeless man. As I read, my formerly-stray, formerly-starved furball was curled up next to me, purring.
The story was poignant and sad, but I was confused by the timing. I am assuming Fern is about six months old -- she is constantly referred to as "kitten" or "little cat". Any younger than four or five months, and she would not have survived the death of her mother; any older and she would not really be a kitten, she would look like an adult.
If she was born in June, as a lot of kittens are, this would put the story in December (which fits with the snow). But there is a reference to Mother cat showing Fern and Percy snow "soon after they were born". August? And where irises bloom in winter? Mine are in full force in July-August. The irises aren't really necessary to the story -- in fact, they are a distraction.
Otherwise, the story was a sad commentary on homelessness, both for people and for animals.
I received an advance copy of this book with a request that I publish my thoughts in a review after finishing.
"Where the Irises Bloom" is a shorter (178 pages) novella(?) about a homeless cat befriended by a homeless man. As I read, my formerly-stray, formerly-starved furball was curled up next to me, purring.
The story was poignant and sad, but I was confused by the timing. I am assuming Fern is about six months old -- she is constantly referred to as "kitten" or "little cat". Any younger than four or five months, and she would not have survived the death of her mother; any older and she would not really be a kitten, she would look like an adult.
If she was born in June, as a lot of kittens are, this would put the story in December (which fits with the snow). But there is a reference to Mother cat showing Fern and Percy snow "soon after they were born". August? And where irises bloom in winter? Mine are in full force in July-August. The irises aren't really necessary to the story -- in fact, they are a distraction.
Otherwise, the story was a sad commentary on homelessness, both for people and for animals.
I received an advance copy of this book with a request that I publish my thoughts in a review after finishing.
April 5, 2020
I guess need a long vacation from reading about human relationships. Unless they are an autobiography the repetition becomes boring and ho-hum. I love animals, always have and always will. They are such a fresh breath of pure oxygen they rekindle my soul. I am most familiar with dogs and cats. Fish are beautiful, but petting them isn't as easy or rewarding as the warm soft fur and rising or lowering of a beautiful body beneath that says "Thank you, I love you too!" . This sad tale of a young feline trying to survive in a poor inner city is lived out every day throughout the world. The way the author told it in first person and her run ins with others of her same living conditions was well defined. The homeless man made a perfect bonding experience for her.I applaud our humane society shelters ( no kill especially), for their love , patience, and huge hearts to help those in need!!
June 14, 2020
FERN AND JOHN
Fern is a brave little kitten living in the streets. Her mother is killed by a gang of boys, leaving Fern and her brother to fend for themselves. Scrounging for food and avoiding potential enemies is hard. Fern and John, a man also trying to survive in the streets, become friends and help each other survive. The ending of the book brings both sorrow and joy.
Fern is a brave little kitten living in the streets. Her mother is killed by a gang of boys, leaving Fern and her brother to fend for themselves. Scrounging for food and avoiding potential enemies is hard. Fern and John, a man also trying to survive in the streets, become friends and help each other survive. The ending of the book brings both sorrow and joy.
April 16, 2020
A real glimpse of the feral cats world
Through the tears, I felt every misery of a young cats life. From the death of her mother at the of mean boys, to losing her only brother to a fast moving train and on to trying to survive in this harsh world, a book for all.
Through the tears, I felt every misery of a young cats life. From the death of her mother at the of mean boys, to losing her only brother to a fast moving train and on to trying to survive in this harsh world, a book for all.
April 21, 2020
Where the Irises Bloom is deep.
I wasn’t sure about reading a book about a homeless kitten,but it is beautifully written and has deep meaning about the need for love and affection as well as food.A homeless kitten and a homeless man meet and give each other love.
I wasn’t sure about reading a book about a homeless kitten,but it is beautifully written and has deep meaning about the need for love and affection as well as food.A homeless kitten and a homeless man meet and give each other love.
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March 24, 2020Sweet
Sweet story about cats feelings and life
In man's world
Enough said. Don't have ten more words
There more words
Sweet story about cats feelings and life
In man's world
Enough said. Don't have ten more words
There more words
September 21, 2020
Being a cat lover, I couldn't resist reading this one.
Where the Irises bloom is the story of an unlikely camaraderie that develops between 2 abandoned living beings and how they find solace in each other during the frigid winter season.
The story is narrated from the point of view of a kitten named Fern who finds herself orphaned overnight. Frightened and alone in the cruel unrelenting world of humans, she struggles to survive the bustling city life. Going past the noisy trains, tall buildings, hiding in the corner of bridges, she eventually seeks comfort from a homeless man huddled by an old tavern.
The book deals with the premises of fear and loneliness. It portrays the picture of the big bad world and its attitude towards lonely souls. While there is cruelty towards stray animals, there exists an equal amount of kindness meted out by some good samaritans.
The author is lucid and vivid with his descriptions of the city and the neighborhood, almost making them seem like silent characters in the book. It evokes a great deal of emotions from the reader, particularly animal lovers and those with a tender heart. Some instances tend to remind one of Jack London's 'The Call of the Wild'.
Where the Irises bloom is an endearing tale of hope, survival and learning to trust your instincts. It leaves you with an unsettling feeling. At the same time, it emphasizes the fact of always finding light at the end of the tunnel.
July 4, 2022
fiction masking nonfiction…
Sigh… it was hard to decide on the rating. 4 to low and 5, not quite. 4.5 would be most appropriate but that isn’t an option!
Mostly, the not quite comes from the sometimes overly dramatic poetic moments. While I’m frequently in love with those type of poetic lyrical bits, overall, most in this book stand out and disrupts the natural flow.
I’m in awe and impressed at the author and his writing from the cat perspective in a way that felt probable and it wasn’t like some authors who speak from the animal’s perspective in a human ‘voice’ and more fanciful
This book, really highlights the struggle of stray and feral or otherwise abandoned cats. The issues addressed, especially homelessness, drug abuse, mental illness/health, compassion, inhumanities and so on..
There are only a few characters in the story and they, including the cats cover a full range of emotions.
I laughed, cringed, hopes and shed REAL tears!! That’s a RARE occurrence that I have tears despite being a voracious reader.
Reader beware, it’s a book with a lot of pain and pushes your own sense of existence and empathy. It’s definitely not sugarcoating some very real life issues and may open your eyes to the potential suffering of both man and ‘beast’
I highly recommend it but just know, IMO, very unexpected
I know the author has another book and now I’m wanting to read it.
Mostly, I hope the author will write more books from the animals perspective.
Sigh… it was hard to decide on the rating. 4 to low and 5, not quite. 4.5 would be most appropriate but that isn’t an option!
Mostly, the not quite comes from the sometimes overly dramatic poetic moments. While I’m frequently in love with those type of poetic lyrical bits, overall, most in this book stand out and disrupts the natural flow.
I’m in awe and impressed at the author and his writing from the cat perspective in a way that felt probable and it wasn’t like some authors who speak from the animal’s perspective in a human ‘voice’ and more fanciful
This book, really highlights the struggle of stray and feral or otherwise abandoned cats. The issues addressed, especially homelessness, drug abuse, mental illness/health, compassion, inhumanities and so on..
There are only a few characters in the story and they, including the cats cover a full range of emotions.
I laughed, cringed, hopes and shed REAL tears!! That’s a RARE occurrence that I have tears despite being a voracious reader.
Reader beware, it’s a book with a lot of pain and pushes your own sense of existence and empathy. It’s definitely not sugarcoating some very real life issues and may open your eyes to the potential suffering of both man and ‘beast’
I highly recommend it but just know, IMO, very unexpected
I know the author has another book and now I’m wanting to read it.
Mostly, I hope the author will write more books from the animals perspective.
April 9, 2022
I have read and loved several books by Will Lowdry so Where the Irises Bloom was a must read for me.
As with his other books, it is beautifully written with clear and often emotive descriptions putting you right there with little Fern.
Fern is an orphaned kitten living in a rough part of a busy city. Struggling to survive she makes friends with a homeless veteran, John, when others ignore her. The other main character is Matthew who helps homeless people and shows compassion for both John and Fern.
Fern has some frightening encounters with hoodlums, trains, a feral cat, and busy streets but John shows her compassion and caring.
Will Lowrey’s descriptions put the reader at ground level with little Fern. We feel, see, smell and hear everything she does. It was so real I wanted to reach out, pick her up and take her home.
The story heart-warming ending is emotional, both sad and happy.
This book is a must read for animal lovers.
My rating 5*
As with his other books, it is beautifully written with clear and often emotive descriptions putting you right there with little Fern.
Fern is an orphaned kitten living in a rough part of a busy city. Struggling to survive she makes friends with a homeless veteran, John, when others ignore her. The other main character is Matthew who helps homeless people and shows compassion for both John and Fern.
Fern has some frightening encounters with hoodlums, trains, a feral cat, and busy streets but John shows her compassion and caring.
Will Lowrey’s descriptions put the reader at ground level with little Fern. We feel, see, smell and hear everything she does. It was so real I wanted to reach out, pick her up and take her home.
The story heart-warming ending is emotional, both sad and happy.
This book is a must read for animal lovers.
My rating 5*
July 5, 2022
This is a short book. I read the story in one hour but I felt the need to share my experience. The book is narrated by a feral young cat not yet a year old. It tells her story of survival and how she learned to trust her instincts to stay alive. By the end of the story I was crying. I was moved. To feel such emotion from a story is powerful. The quote at the beginning of the book is true. Beauty is everywhere; we just need to see it. The irises did bloom in an unlikely place which make them all the more beautiful. PS. I also hope for a different ending for the dog in the story as well.
January 9, 2023
Sad stories usually aren't my thing, and I didn't realize how sad this would be by the blurb. That being said, it was beautifully written, and being told from the little orphaned, stray kitty's POV made it a very charming story, one that won't soon be forgotten. The kitty was the main focus in the story, but the way the human characters were written really added to the story too, and even though some were only shown briefly, the author was able to convey their personalities quite well. I was holding my breath hoping the ending wouldn't be as sad as the rest of the book, and was relieved at the end. Yes, it was sad, but there were beautiful and touching scenes as well.
August 31, 2020
This is a fantastic read. This is my first time reading anything from this author and I love his writing style which allows me to easily visualize the scenes and characters. If you love animals, especially rescue ones then I strongly recommend that you grab a copy of this amazing book. It’s a quick read but a must read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 5, 2021
Sweet, sad, heartwarming.
As I write this, there is a medium size cat lying on my side. She’s a grey tabby/torti. Her owner didn’t want her as she didn’t get along with her older cats. She became our 3rd rescue. Yet another whose owner had her nails ripped out for their convenience. We focus is rescuing those that wouldn’t have a chance outside without their nails. Where Irises Bloom touch my critter loving heart. Descriptive of her living quarters, so much so I was cold. I wanted to take her and give her good food and a loving home. Does her story continue? I don’t know but I will go hunting for it. Read it if you can.
As I write this, there is a medium size cat lying on my side. She’s a grey tabby/torti. Her owner didn’t want her as she didn’t get along with her older cats. She became our 3rd rescue. Yet another whose owner had her nails ripped out for their convenience. We focus is rescuing those that wouldn’t have a chance outside without their nails. Where Irises Bloom touch my critter loving heart. Descriptive of her living quarters, so much so I was cold. I wanted to take her and give her good food and a loving home. Does her story continue? I don’t know but I will go hunting for it. Read it if you can.
August 19, 2021
Excellent read!
Animals and their rights have been in the minds of many people. How to deal with rampant abuse and how do we make an animal's life more than just daily routines.This book brought out in my mind how even the homeless are taking in pets and trying to save the animals less fortunate. I loved this book because it brought out
the fact that it doesn't take much to provide for basic needs. Just a great read!
Animals and their rights have been in the minds of many people. How to deal with rampant abuse and how do we make an animal's life more than just daily routines.This book brought out in my mind how even the homeless are taking in pets and trying to save the animals less fortunate. I loved this book because it brought out
the fact that it doesn't take much to provide for basic needs. Just a great read!
July 22, 2020
Good But Also Sad
This book kept my interest but I also felt it was very sad. I enjoyed looking at life through Fern and her adventures as she traveled around. I don't want to give anything away but felt very sad 😢 for Percy. I do recommend this book - and especially animal lovers (but anyone) interested in a 👍 story.
This book kept my interest but I also felt it was very sad. I enjoyed looking at life through Fern and her adventures as she traveled around. I don't want to give anything away but felt very sad 😢 for Percy. I do recommend this book - and especially animal lovers (but anyone) interested in a 👍 story.
August 24, 2021
So sad—made me think of some thoughtless things I did
I’m sorry I read this book because it told of the many situations homeless cats and people endure. I’m happy Fern is going to be okay (at least I hope so). I’ve rescued a few cats and passed several by without helping them. I’m going to be more aware now.
I’m sorry I read this book because it told of the many situations homeless cats and people endure. I’m happy Fern is going to be okay (at least I hope so). I’ve rescued a few cats and passed several by without helping them. I’m going to be more aware now.
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July 16, 2022U can always find love...
Love comes in many forms, we just have to keep our hearts open. Yes, this world is full with so many negative things, & people, but it's also filled with love. No matter what happens, what we have to go thru in life, we just have to remember to never close our hearts...to always have time for love to enter.
Love comes in many forms, we just have to keep our hearts open. Yes, this world is full with so many negative things, & people, but it's also filled with love. No matter what happens, what we have to go thru in life, we just have to remember to never close our hearts...to always have time for love to enter.
June 6, 2021
Homeless kitten and homeless veteran
Life is tough on the city streets in the winter. Fern is an orphaned kitten who joins forces with John, a homeless veteran , as they struggle to survive an uncaring world.
Life is tough on the city streets in the winter. Fern is an orphaned kitten who joins forces with John, a homeless veteran , as they struggle to survive an uncaring world.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews