The Travelling Cat Chronicles
by Hiro Arikawa, trans. Philip Gabriel (Doubleday, 2017); audiobook read by George Blagden (Transworld, 2018)
A simple, at times wistful exploration of life in Japan, told by way of old friendships revisited and the devoted owner/pet relationship the protagonist shares with his cat. While Arikawa captures the power of childhood memories, the cat’s direct observations add little.