Simon Ships Out Audiobook By Jacky Donovan cover art

Simon Ships Out

How One Brave, Stray Cat Became a Worldwide Hero: Based on a True Story

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Simon Ships Out

By: Jacky Donovan
Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman
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When Simon, an orphaned young cat, is smuggled on board HMS Amethyst, his simple life amidst the streets of Hong Kong is transformed into an adventure fit for heroes.

Bringing joy and compassion to those on board, Simon is the only puss to have been awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, the highest honour for animal gallantry in wartime.

Based on the true events of Amethyst's Yangtze Incident, Simon's quirky yet emotional cat's-eye narrative is sure to move and entertain all who listen to it.

©2014 Jacky Donovan (P)2015 Jacky Donovan Fiction Historical Fiction Pets & Animal Care Cats
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This is the sweet, endearing story of Simon, a black and white tuxedo cat, who was rescued from the docks of Hong Kong and smuggled aboard HMS Amethyst by teenage Seaman George Hickinbotom.

Simon's story plays out against the drama of the so-called Yangtse Incident of 1949, in which the Amethyst found herself caught up in a deadly political rat trap.

Simon does not comprehend the human motivation behind much of what befalls him and his fellow crew members, but describes the horrors in stark terms, understanding nothing, feeling everything.

Bring Kleenex.

Simon Says

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Being a cat lover I really did enjoy this whole story and knowing it's pretty much real true story made it even better I thank you.

Thank you for the story

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One of the most moving stories I have ever read. Simon is truly inspirational! He will live forever in our hearts.

Simon Ships out review

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Where does Simon Ships Out rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's very different from my usual fare but I love this narrator so I thought I'd give it a try. I found it fascinating although I was confused who the regular audience would be as some of it was quite childlike and some very much not so. The period is captured wonderfully. And Simon's story is amazing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Simon is obviously the hero, but I really loved the crew members.

What about Stevie Zimmerman’s performance did you like?

She has such an amazing range of characters and accents - especially since most of them are male. She makes the story make complete sense and adds a dimension and depth that couldn't happen just reading the book.

Who was the most memorable character of Simon Ships Out and why?

Simon - you're just drawn into his whole story.

Fascinating historical story beautifully read

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Nowhere on Audible did it say kids book and I checked several times. Maybe my grandson would have liked it but I found the narrator and the trite scenarios irritating. So I didn’t finish it. Instead I looked up the true story in the internet

It’s a kids book

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