This charming novel is about Nana, a homeless city tomcat who hangs around an apartment block, favouring a silver van that soaks in the warm sunshine of Tokyo and is just perfect for resting on and taking a nap full of comfort and warmth. After making friends Nana is rescued and taken to the vet by Satoru, after a horrific road accident in which his leg is cruelly broken. By the time the leg heals Nana and Satoru are firm friends and Nana has been given his name, which really confuses him, until Satoru explains that his tail is kinked like a number 7, and nana means seven in Japanese. He adapts well to living inside with his new master and is no trouble at all. If the truth is told, Nana reminds Satoru of the cat he owned when he was a young boy. They look like twins except for the kink in Nana’s tail.
One day they set off on a road trip to see friends from Satoru’s childhood. Their journeys together are wondrous and their companionship enhanced by their physical and emotional closeness. They are lifelong friends and, like Satoru’s friends from his childhood, Nana means everything to Satoru. Nana is mesmerised by the changing Japanese countryside, the roaring ocean, the mighty mountains and the differences in the seasons. He doesn’t know why or where they are journeying to other than Nana is going to learn more about his beloved master, his past and Satoru’s old friends. The stories they share are tender, heart-warming and soulful, and by the time they reach the island where Satoru grew up with his Aunt, Nana and Satoru’s journey is complete. There in the house are their belongings, as Satoru at last leaves the city and returns home.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Travelling Cat Chronicles’. The love between Nana and Satoru shone through, they understood, respected and loved each other. The storytelling was stunning, the translation from Japanese to English absolutely faultless in every way. The descriptions of the road journey were beautiful and the characters from Satoru’s past were interesting and their reminiscences full of joy and fondness. As the characters were developed I came to love the character of Satoru more and more. He was so kind, gentle and an all-round sterling man, full of compassion and goodness. Nana’s narration of their adventures and companionship was really moving, interesting and insightful. They were a team; soul mates destined to be together, a partnership in life that would never be broken.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Transworld Digital for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. This novel is an excellent read, I absolutely loved it. It was about friendship, integrity, loyalty and love and I have no hesitation at all in awarding it an all round 5* recommendation.