The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa; translated by Phillip Gabriel
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey
Genre: Fiction
Suggested Age: Adults, Young Adults
What is the book about?: A young man finds an independent, street-savvy stray cat spending the winter around his apartment building, sunning himself on the hood of the young man’s van. The young man, Satoru, leaves food and water for the cat, and they are just acquaintances of a sort until fate, in the form of an auto accident, forces the injured feline to turn to Satoru for help. During the cat’s recovery, Satoru and the cat, now named Nana, form a bond of friendship. They live happily together for some years until a change of circumstance forces Satoru to find a new home for Nana. Wanting to find the best possible new home for his beloved cat, Satoru and Nana travel the country in Satoru’s silver van, visiting old friends in pet-friendly forest retreats, farms, and cities, seeing the ocean and famous Mount Fuji along the way. They also learn lessons about lasting friendship and love.
My Review: This quirky, endearing and adventurous tale is told mainly from the viewpoint of the cat. Nana (who doesn’t necessarily like his name, which means “seven” in Japanese) is quite a character, like most cats – at times feisty, charming, mischievous and with a crooked tale shaped like the number seven. It’s fun to hear the adventures from Nana’s viewpoint! Bit by bit, we learn Nana’s back story and come to understand Satoru’s youth, his family, friendships, and his current situation. Arikawa delineates all of her characters with a loving hand, and I find myself wishing that I could meet these people and pets in real life. This is a gentle and heartwarming tale that has been winningly translated into English. Don’t miss this!!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Feline human friendship
Give This a Try if You Like… cats or if you’ve ever imagined what cats are thinking!
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
