Musing about the weather ~ and a book, of course!

Musing about the weather  (Hurricane Helene) and about how easy it was for Deb at Readerbuzz to convince me to order this book.  That's right; I'm musing about a book I haven't yet seen, much less read.  It snagged me that completely, so let me tell you about the book.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat ~ by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda, 2024, literary fiction, 304 pages

Tucked away in an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives and genuinely need help.  The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there:  it prescribes cats as medication.  Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they "take" their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound trans-formations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, occasionally challenging, yet endearing cats.

Through the chapters of a disheartened businessman who finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a young girl navigating the complexities of elementary school cliques, a middle-aged man struggling to stay relevant at work and home, a hardened bag designer seeking emotional balance, and a geisha unable to move on from the memory of her lost cat, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed.  As the clinic's patients navigate their inner turmoil, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.