Are you a cat lover? Do you think you dislike those sharp-clawed little carnivores? Or, are you agnostic about the whole F. catus family? No matter, for whatever your response to the domesticated cat it is represented in "We'll Prescribe You a Cat," by Syou Ishida.

A variety of hurting humans find their way to the Nakagy? Kokoro Clinic for the Soul at the back of a dark alley in Kyoto. All found their way following the vague recommendation of a friend of a friend of a friend. The clinic, we're told, can only be found by those who truly need it.

Five seekers make a successful journey to the clinic. Each had some imbalance in their life that made seeking out therapy appealing. Shuta Kagawa wanted to quit his job. Koga, in his fifties, had a new boss whose effusively positive attitude grated on his every nerve. Aoba's mother hauled her off to the clinic for psychiatric intervention as her fourth grade daughter was showing signs of depression. Tomoka Takamine despaired because she often drove her employees away with her demanding perfectionism. One year after her beloved cat disappeared, Abino found her way to the Clinic for the Soul, offering a simple reason for the help she sought, "My cat won't come home."

To the great surprise of each person seeking mental health advice, Dr. Nikké prescribes the supplicants a cat. He also assures them that this specific cat will provide powerful assistance with their troubles. For their part, the people take caring for the felines seriously, following the brief instructions offered to them. But, the reader learns the cats aren't like sorcerers waving magic wands of healing. They are just cats, soft and warm, and by turns aloof or loving. The charms of this novel arise in the fact that it is the humans themselves who make the adjustments necessary to transform their circumstances.

The internal and external adjustments of the people are well described. That offers a good outline of the potential humans carry to adapt to circumstances and improve their lives. Responsibility, appreciation, loyalty and love accompany self-reflection to enlarge the souls of those who respond fully to their prescriptions.

While there is no mystery around the revolutions Shuta, Koga, Aoba, Tomoka, and Amino experience, the Nakagy? Kokoro Clinic for the Soul is shrouded in a number of unknowns. Who is the mysterious and ever affable Dr. Nikké? Who is his stunning and coldly distant nurse, Chitose? Why does the Clinic for the Soul exist? As the story unfolds the answers arise slowly still leaving room for a bit of puzzlement to persist at the end.

Many will enjoy this hopeful novel that brings cats and humans together in collaborations which improve the lives of all.

This is the story of a woman whose unhappiness sprawls across the page like a blanket. The income she earns as a funeral cryer, as well as the modest pleasure of a job well done, is offset by the loss of friends who withdraw from her because she is tainted by death.

At home, her life with “the husband” is completely unfulfilling. He is dismissive and often verbally abusive. As an additional insult, he refuses to find a job preferring to spend his days playing mah-jongg with his friends.

Her sadness is not relieved by “the daughter” who lives in Shanghai or even occasional interactions with her mother. “Life is so unexciting.” she muses.

A growing relationship with “the barber” who styles her hair before funerals brings her opportunities to wonder about other possibilities. Considering the thirsty bamboo shoots she hopes to harvest after a good rain, she thinks “Then I realized I was the same as the bamboo shoots: I didn’t know what I would like to have, but when I had it, I would know.”

The evolution of the plot shows that she did know what she wanted even though it was as difficult to predict as the rains for which the bamboo shoots waited.

The author chose to introduce most of the characters by their jobs or roles: the husband, the butcher, or the barber. This creates a distance between the reader and the characters which makes it difficult to empathize with them. Nor does an important named character, Hotpot, the butcher’s widow, elicit sympathy from the reader, as she is suspected of having an affair with “the husband.”

The funeral cryer’s life is largely bleak. It’s sometimes difficult to develop an affinity for the characters. Yet, the book might appeal to readers who want to learn about cultures and experiences very different from their own.

The book not only seeks to unravel the mystery of a missing father but offers reflections on happiness, musings on the assumptions we all make, and parses out decision making processes. While that might seem like too much for one novel to bear, Angie Kim handles it all ably. The author’s note is a great resource, be sure to read it.

Many of the characters in this novel were not particularly sympathetic, with this reader finding Carmen Acosta the one exception. The motivation for each character's actions were eventually explained but were not accompanied by full character development.

The stories of two murders, occurring in two time periods, were told in alternating chapters. This construction impeded the build up of dramatic tension, and made what would unfold in the next chapter less intriguing.

Though both the title and the Gothic genre suggest the house should be a more imposing feature in these stories, it was treated as a background character. A major feature in the house's construction was introduced late in the novel and seemed to exist only to foster the final resolution.

It was easy to breeze through the book to the conclusion, but it wasn't a compelling read.

This novel is about seeking, and sometimes finding that which is sought. It highlights the courage that leads humans to reach toward freedom and peace from the midst of dire circumstances. Rachel's love for her children leads her on a perilous journey to be reunited with them. These three themes made the characters come alive, and the novel intriguing.