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.
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…more 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. (less)
