Review: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

Title: The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Author: Hiro Arikawa
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Viking
Publish Date: October 23, 2018
Source: Publisher

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends. He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species. 

But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break..."

My Two Cents:

In "The Travelling Cat Chronicles," Nana was a stray cat once but now he is a beloved pet. He is traveling with his owner and Nana is enjoying the ride but he is confused as to where he is going. He doesn't understand why he and his owner are visiting so many of the owner's friends. The truth will break Nana's heart. This book made me cry (a tall order for any book) and is a great story that will appeal to my fellow animal lovers!

Told from the perspective of Nana himself, this book is for every person that realizes the power of the special relationship between pets and their owners. I loved seeing things through Nana's eyes. He is a very easy character to want to follow and very easy to love. I thought the author did a good job of writing about the things that Nana would and would not notice. 

This book broke my heart in the very best way. I am an animal lover! I have always had pets and think that they make my life so much better. They definitely become a part of the family. You feel for Satoru's plight (I really, really don't want to give anything away) when it comes to Nana. Satoru wants to do everything to make sure that Nana has what he needs. This story felt really close to home for me because of this. I would do anything for my animals! This was a great story!