The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa is a story about a white cat named Nana and his life with his owner Satoru Miyawaki. The story is told from the cat’s point of view. Nana starts life as a stray but is befriended by Satoru. They live happily together until something happens to Satoru. He cannot look after the cat anymore and tries to find a new home for Nana. The pair go on a road trip to meet Satoru’s old friends who might be able to care for him.

I’m a cat lover and I have a cat. I was thrilled to learn about this book. I haven’t read many books where the main character is an animal. I thought that Arikawa did a great job in making a cat’s personality. Nana was aloof yet loving in his own way, which is what cats are like normally. I was also interested in the book from a writer’s perspective. I think that it would be difficult to write from an animal’s perspective. Animals don’t talk, and a lot has to be conveyed by internal thought and their movement.

The story is deceptively simple. The friends that Satoru visits reveal different parts of his life, from childhood, adolescence and adult life. The stories reveal Satoru’s kind and gentle nature and his love for his family, friends and cat.

I really enjoyed this book. I almost shed a tear at the end. The book has been made into a film!