She and Her Cat: Stories

As the guardian for two cats of my own, this book speaks to my soul.

Here we have a set of short stories about human relationships in many different guises told from the perspective of their feline companions. Each story is linked to the others, focusing on different characters but so that by the end the book has sketched an overall satisfying narrative arch.

We meet a succession of women navigating loss; abandonment; guilt; lack of self confidence and loneliness to name a few. But each one is helped to overcome their challenges by their loving and loyal cat companions. This is a book with a deeply humanistic and feminist sensibility at its core, but one that expresses it gently.

I don't think its quite right to say this is a cozy read; some of the themes here are intense, but the sparse style of the authors coupled with the distancing achieved by telling the stories from the perspective of the cats helps to lower the emotional temperature and makes the book feel ultimately wholesome, uplifting and humane. There are also plenty of cute cat moments, which we all need!

A beautiful little book that is the perfect accompaniment to a rainy afternoon, a cozy jumper and a cup of tea. Curl up with your own feline friends and enjoy.

3.5 ⭐

This was a cute book that makes you just want to snuggle up with a fluffball.

I really appreciated that the book got progressively deeper and the characters more entwined despite it being short stories.

I still don't know what to think about Jon the all knowing dog. My guess is that's kind of the point though.

When first starting this book it was just a side read since nothing else would load on my phone while at the gym. I went into this read knowing nothing about the book and when it first switched to chobi's perspective I remember reading part of it to my sister and being like “isn't that creepy with out the context of know it's a cat” which was a fun little laugh for us. Also at the same time it reminded me of a TikTok that was like no one is going to love you the way your male cat is because of the intensity that they watch you. Having a cat I found It an enjoyable read, and seeing the cats connection with the dog too was so cute.

I found this a whole some read and would recommend this to anyone who has a cat. I found myself not always wanting to pick it up so it only got 4 stars. But the ending was my favorite part seeing the characters come together at the end warmed my heart, especially the cats realizing their wishes came true.

Within pages, this book captured my head. Both cozy and emotional, any cat lover will appreciate at least something about this book.

The story follows Miyu, Reina, Aoi, Shino, and their cats. Each cat/human duo is told in their own short story with sections told from the humans' perspectives as well as the cats'. The four stories connect wonderfully together. 

‘Slumber and Sky' was my favorite story in the collection though it's perhaps the most emotional. Aoi's grief is presented so vividly. Watching Cookie try to bring her out of her funk was so heartwarming. 

The only thing that would have made this book more enjoyable would have been choosing a different book to read while traveling so I could have had my cats by my side as I read it!

Even though the writing was inconsistent, the stories really did show how cats change our lives for the better. The section breaks between scene changes and povs were a little confusing, but I liked the cat's inner monologue and how each story was connected someway.

my rating for each story:

1. Sea of Words: 2 stars

I really liked Miyu as a character and looking into her life. But I don't understand her character arc involved with her cat or why the ending was so abrupt.

2. First Blossoming: 4 stars

Loved Reina and Mimi's relationship and how their lives mirrored each other. In my opinion, the best story in the book.

3. Slumber and Sky: 3 stars

While it has a good theme and an interesting premise, it was a little forgettable. The whole bracelet thing was very cute and portrayed depression and grief in a realistic way though.

4. The Temperature of the World: 3 stars

I really wanted closure for this character because i was empathetic and invested. But her journey with her cat fell short and is more focused on her nephew if anything.

thx for reading <3