We'll Prescribe You a Cat: The feel good Japanese bestselling book

by Ishida Syou

Madison Shimoda (Translator), E. Madison Shimoda (Translator), and Emmie Madison Shimoda (Translator)

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT!
Contains five exquisite line-drawings.

For fans of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES, discover the award-winning heartwarming sensation.

Readers adore it:
‘The most wonderful book I've ever read’ *****
‘A terrific idea, a powerful ending, brilliant storytelling’ *****
‘The story drew me in instantly, and I laughed so much’ *****
‘I definitely want everyone to read this book’ *****
‘There are so many wonderful lines to underscore, but if I write them here, there will be spoilers!’ *****
____________

A cat a day keeps the doctor away ...

On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few - those who feel genuine emotional pain - can find it.

The mysterious centre offers a unique treatment for its troubled patients: it prescribes cats as medication.

Get ready to fall in love:
- Bee, an eight-year-old female, mixed breed helps a disheartened businessman as he finds unexpected joy in physical labour;
- Margot, muscly like a lightweight boxer, helps a middle-aged callcentre worker stay relevant at work and at home;
- Koyuki, an exquisite white cat brings closure to a young mother troubled by the memory of the rescue kitten she was forced to abandon;
- Tank and Tangerine bring peace to a hardened handbag designer, as she learns to be kinder to herself;
- Mimita, the Scottish Fold kitten helps a broken-hearted Geisha to stop blaming herself for the cat she lost years ago;

As the clinic's patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them towards healing, self-discovery and newfound hope.

**Contains five exquisite cat line-drawings**

Japanese bestseller, October 2023

• ISBN10: 1529936713
• ISBN13: 9781529936711
• Publish Date: 5 September 2024 (first published 1 September 2024)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Doubleday
• Format: Hardcover (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat is the first collection of interconnected vignettes by Syou Ishida. Originally released in Japanese in 2021, this English language translation was released 3rd Sept 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint. It's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is a relaxingly cozy, warmly written book with several vignettes about people whose lives are touched by feline interactions. The "patients" run the gamut from businessmen to a youngster, and it's a redemptive and sentimental read (in a good way). 

The translation work by E. Madison Shimoda is completely seamless and unobtrusive. It doesn't read like literature in translation and although set in Japan with Japanese names and settings, the scansion and prose flow very well in English. 

Four stars. Well written. There are a fair number of cozy Japanese "lifestyle" stories, it's become a popular genre. It's not derivative at all, but fans of The Full Moon Coffee Shop, the Morisaki Bookshop books, and the Kamogawa Food Detectives , will likely enjoy this one as well.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.