Dreamcats II: The Felinestow Flood

This sequel to Dreamcats finds the four young cousins, Elsa, David, Oscar and Arthur back in their Felinestow ‘dream’ as pets in cat families. Felinestow is now run by the benign cat, Mayor Tina, but evil ex-Mayor Claptrap still has a thirst for power.

No sooner do Elsa and David find themselves in ex-police cat George’s home, George’s brother Harry arrives. The charismatic Harry is an odd combination of philosopher and television celebrity. He is visiting Felinestow to chair a religious conference, comprising the Felinestow faith, the Siamese religion, the pig’s belief in Porcianity, and the sheep’s secular faith. But before the conference opens, a disaster strikes. The sheep’s homeland, Lambton Flatland, is inundated and the entire sheep nation pour into Felinestow as refugees – coinciding with an influx of pig and Siamese cat tourists for the conference.

As Felinestow struggles to keep the peace, Mayor Tina sends George and Claptrap on a diplomatic mission to Porcineville, the Siamese, and to the Beavers to seek help. Oscar and Arthur get involved in the mission… Meanwhile, Elsa becomes a phenomenon in Felinestow when the cats are amazed to discover that she plays the piano. She is summoned to play before Queen Tracy at the palace on a cat-sized piano.

In this allegory of contemporary ‘populist’ politics, crowded with action, comedy, moral, religious and political challenges, the reader will discover resonances with the real world. A populist leader, ex-Mayor Claptrap, advocates building a wall on Felinestow’s border to repel foreigners. There are religious conflicts, racism, greed, excessive pride and fear of the unknown.

Christopher Best lives in Hertfordshire. He based the characters in this story around his young grandchildren who he has dedicated the book to.