Issue 18: I’ll Prescribe You a Book
Coco Poley reviews "We’ll Prescribe You a Cat", a book about cats, life in Kyoto, transformation, acknowledging that we don’t always know ourselves as well as we think, and having the courage to make small but meaningful changes.
If you’ve ever bonded with a cat for even five minutes, you need to read this book. Syou Ishida's We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is an unassuming novel that tells the stories of seven cats in six long chapters, each structured as a short story. Yet the common threads in each tale weave together a larger, cohesive narrative that leads to a poignant and unforgettable conclusion. This charming book carries an unexpected depth that touches on the very meaning of life, and it’s one of my new favorites.
This book prescribed itself to me in a mysterious way. It all started one weekend in Nashville this January when I visited a bookstore called Novelette with my friends. I was there for two reasons: first, I love charming bookstores, and second, a sweet friend had given me birthday money to spend there. That’s when I first saw We’ll Prescribe You a Cat and became interested, but I chose other books that day.
Two weeks later, while spending more birthday book money (my friends know me well) at Books-A-Million, I saw it again displayed on the end of a Fiction shelf as I walked by. My friends had recently been raving about Japanese books with cats on the cover, and something about seeing it twice won me over. It felt like Fate: I had to bring this book home.
It turns out that Fate was very right. Just as the mysterious clinic in the story calls to patients in need, this book had called to me.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat isn’t just about cats, though they are central to the narrative. Each story offers an intimate look into the heart and mind of someone in desperate need of change. Whether dealing with the monotony of a stressful job, struggling to connect with their children, battling loneliness, or feeling frustrated in a long-term relationship, these citizens of Kyoto, Japan put on a brave face as they navigate their problems as best they can. Until someone suggests they visit the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul.
Though I couldn’t always relate to the specific circumstances of the characters, I empathize with their struggles. Syou Ishida skillfully captures the universal challenges of being human, of being a parent, a partner, a coworker, a child, or a friend.
The emotional depth of these stories and the rich descriptions of life with cats initially feel like the heart of the book. Much like the patients at the clinic who are puzzled by the staff’s behavior and unconventional advice, I too was at first unaware of the deeper mystery unfolding.
As patients left the clinic with their ten or fourteen day cat prescriptions, I was left with lingering questions. What is going on at this strange clinic?
Ishida does a masterful job of leading the reader through the story naturally. I didn’t even realize I was reading a mystery at first. But as the chapters progress, the threads become more apparent, and clues emerge. By the time I reached Chapter 4, I couldn’t put the book down.
The prose is enchanting, luring the reader in with honeyed descriptions of feline attributes that elevate cats to their rightful place as majestic deities (which, let’s be honest, they are). Like the warmth of a flickering fire, these small moments create an intimate sensory experience: the scent of clean fur, the vibrancy of bright, inquisitive eyes, the soft cushion of a paw pad. Ishida’s ability to capture these small yet powerful details makes me crave more of her writing.
I don’t want to spoil this book because I truly believe it’s best experienced firsthand. But I must say: by the time I reached Chapter 6, I was crying through nearly the whole thing. The beauty, the tenderness, and the emotional weight of the story overwhelmed me. All the clues from earlier chapters snapped into focus, and I saw the full picture.
This book doesn’t end with easy answers. Instead, the stories conclude with questions, actions, and a sense of hope for the future. But alongside that hope is the deep grief of loss: the loss of pets, the loss of loved ones, and the inevitable changes that come with life. We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is ultimately a book about transformation, about acknowledging that we don’t always know ourselves as well as we think, and about having the courage to make small but meaningful changes.
Sometimes, change starts with something as simple as a cat prescription. Maybe something as small as reading this book could change something for you, too. It may appear unassuming, but just like that quiet back-alley clinic, it holds an emotional, sweet, and hopeful mystery, one that is well worth stepping into. You just have to try the doorknob.
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We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is a bestselling Japanese novel from 2023 that was translated into English and first published in the US market in September 2024. It’s set to be translated into seventeen more languages.