Ishida's offbeat, heartwarming story of unconventional "medicine" in the form of cats explores interconnectedness and new perspectives, inspiration, and familial bonds.
“You know the old saying: ‘A cat a day keeps the doctor away.’ Cats are more effective than any other medicine out there.”
In the charming story We'll Prescribe You a Cat, a winding, hard-to-find Kyoto alleyway leads to a strange building. Inside, the mysterious Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul prescribes medicine to those looking for support and help. Patients are given basic animal care instructions and "take" their unconventional cat prescriptions for a period of time.
Ishida's offbeat story tells the tales of various characters, lost or in pain, who find themselves transformed by spending time with feline companions.
Sometimes simply the act of giving in to care for another creature is the catalyst for change; in other cases the cat itself and its comfort or wild behavior shakes up things. Loneliness is thwarted, frustrations are softened, perspectives are broadened, families are drawn together, and new possibilities are inspired by time spent with various prescribed animals.
Ishida in some cases overlaps names of cats, workers at the clinic, and others--causing protagonists to wonder at unexpected interconnectedness. The clinic is not always accessible--at times, the roads and alleys around the convoluted address do not appear to be the same and do not lead to the cats. Intention and need seem to be key to finding the source of cat comfort.
I listened to this as an audiobook. My book club will be discussing this heartwarming novel next year.
I'd love to hear what you think of this book!
If you're looking for more heartwarming stories, you might like my Bossy reviews of books like these.
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