North Campus English Professor Writes Tale About A Car-Stealing Cat

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Carmen Misé and her 18-month-old daughter escaped the mundaneness of quarantine by recounting their daily adventures. 

Oftentimes, the main character was their neighbor’s mischievous cat, who frequently visited their yard and left lizards at their doorstep. 

“It was challenging to be away from family, to just be home, and not be able to get out much…but there was a silver lining in the pandemic,” recalls Misé, who is an English professor at North Campus. “We were able to spend a lot of time together, get creative.” 

A Cat Almost Stole Mom’s Car spawned from that creativity; the story is the 36-year-old’s first children’s book.

The literary endeavor, which comes in English and Spanish, was released this summer. 

“I think [it’s] meaningful to finally reach the culmination of something I’ve been working on for so long,” said Misé, who has previously published non-fiction essays and poems. 

Set in Biscayne Bay, the story follows Misé’s daughter Victoria and their dog Hamlet as they attempt to stop a fluffy-tailed feline named Oliver—who was abandoned by his family—from stealing Misé’s car to reunite with his family.

The tale’s core values center around forgiveness, compassion and friendship.

It took Misé only four weeks to write the book, but the manuscript sat dormant after she returned to teach in-person classes and gave birth to her second daughter, Camila Alessandra, in 2022.

However, after a meeting last summer with Flor Ana Mireles, the founder and editor-in-chief of Indie Earth Publishing the idea for the book was revived.

“I was moved by the story and really wanted to help her get it out there,” Mireles said. “I love the storyline. I thought it was very beautiful.”

For two months, the pair worked to ensure the book was grammatically sound and that its literacy level was appropriate for young readers. They also enlisted illustrator Kseniia Kudriavtseva to bring the story to life.  

Misé, who immigrated to Miami from Cuba when she was seven, is happy that A Cat Almost Stole Mom’s Car highlights diversity; her daughter Victoria is the main character.

The book also flips upside down so readers can decipher it in Spanish. Leon Palombo, a world languages professor at North Campus, assisted Misé with the editing of the Spanish version.

“I think it’s wonderful that [the main character] is a person of color, that she’s brave and courageous and rides her scooter. I also think it’s wonderful that she is forgiving, thoughtful, loving and caring,” Misé said. “These are attributes that are important in our world.”

Misé will also be conducting a reading and discussion on Sept. 14 at Books & Books in Coconut Grove at 10 a.m. To RSVP for the free event, visit https://tinyurl.com/ycxauwhb. 

A Cat Almost Stole Mom’s Car is available at Books & Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $28.

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