Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Translator: E. Madison Shimoda

Just yesterday someone in a reading group I’m in asked for a fun read - something light hearted and fun. At first I thought, “Boy, that’s not what I’ve been reading!” But then I remembered Syou Ishida’s We’ll Provide You a Cat. A variety of different folks are struggling here. On visiting Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto, Japan, which they believe is a mental health clinic, they are given a prescription for a cat: Bee, Margot, Koyuki, Tank, or Tangerine. In confusion they all leave with the cat and ultimately their lives are changed - though perhaps not in the way the reader expects. The audio book is delightfully performed by Naruto Komatsu and Natsumi Kuroda.

A business worker who feels lost in his office, a call center worker who just doesn’t quite fit in, a young mom who had to give up a kitten as a child, a handbag designer, and a geisha all find better lives after spending time with these cats. The joy extends to family and friends as well. It is also a delight for the reader to see them move from sadness, to confusion, to happiness across each story Ishida crafts. The ending offers some clever insight into the “clinic.” But no spoilers here.

These lovely little vignettes are a delight. The writing is funny and in many ways lighthearted while simultaneously highlighting the sadness and loneliness of modern life. But in the end, the cats prevail. I am pretty allergic to cats, beyond what a simple prescription could alleviate. But the lesson is clear even for me. We all need to provide some kind of counterpoint to the relentlessness of everyday life. When I don’t get lazy about it, for me it is some time outside most days - a nice walk. If you, too, are looking for a book that will make you smile and remind you to care for yourself, I recommend We’ll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida.