She and Her Cat creates one story out of many that seamlessly flows along, casually and tenderly ripping out your heart in the best, most heartwarming way.For fans of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES and translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, translator of CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN, a tender and mesmerizing story about kindness, community and the wonder of life But the way each of the stories is written to form one story about being a good companion-whether that’s to another person, yourself, or an animal-expresses these small moments in large and dramatic ways that punch you in the gut.

They deal with breakups, pet companionship, depression, anxiety, and other everyday life bumps. I know that the description of She and Her Cat seems really simple. Normally, that type of writing or fantasy doesn’t touch me, but it’s hard to ignore such strong and delicate prose that doesn’t get in the way of the story but pulls the reader through from one moment to the next.

The cats in the story have a rich culture and society that anthropomorphizes them in a way that’s easy for me to see in my own cats and the cats that roam my neighborhood. At first, I didn’t consider the book fantasy, but as I read the stories, specifically the sections from the point of view of the cats, I felt like She and Her Cat held that whisper of speculative fantasy I enjoy in more literary works. Each story is connected either by the cats and their relationships to one another or by their owners and their relationships to the rest of the world. She and Her Cat is comprised of four short stories surrounding women and their relationships with their cats, told from the perspective of the cats and their owners. When I saw there was a new cover and hardback coming out in November 2022, I wanted to give the book a read. She and Her Cat was originally an animated film by Makoto Shinkai later turned into a manga and short story collection translated into English by Naruki Nagakawa. No other book in 2022 has made me cry the way She and Her Cat made me: tearing up at the end of each story and wailing loudly at the conclusion of the book. Makoto Shinkai, translated by Naruki Nagakawa Series: The Tales of Gorlen Vizenfirthe.Series: From the Lost Travelers’ Tour Guide.People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction!.

She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai