A Cat Called Waverley is based on a true story about a young man called Darren Greenfield, a homeless war veteran who had come back from war injured and mentally ill as well. He stayed at the top of Waverley steps in Edinburgh to ask for money, and many stopped to try to help him. It is a cry for help, but also a very moving story about a young man 'for whom the war never ended'. Debi Gliori has given him a happy ending of sorts. Most of the book is about a cat, also homeless, who has learned to love and trust his friend Donald who has adopted the little marmalade cat. But when Donald must go off to war, the cat takes his place at Waverley Station, from where he had seen Donald leave, and lives there, eating scraps from people who know him well and who give him food and a warm bed in the station manager's office. Because so many people know about him, he becomes famous, but he never gives up on finding Donald. At long last, he hears the familiar voice of his best friend and goes bounding up the steps to leap into Donald's arms, who recognises him instantly. It is not a happy ending, because both Donald and Waverley are still homeless, and Donald is nothing like the young man that Waverley knew before, but they are together, and that is the important thing. One can only hope they found a home. This is a wonderful plea for the homeless and for providing special places for people who have become through no fault of their own in need of a place of refuge. The illustrations are very special, mostly black and white and grey, but with the cat providing the only marmalade colour throughout until the final pages when sprinklings of autumn leaves and the colour of Donalds' hair (also marmalade) become apparent. Gliori is an extremely talented artist as well as author, and this is a very special, very poignant book.