Japanese author Kiyoshi Shigematsu delivers a slice-of-life masterpiece in The Blanket Cats, a collection of seven stories, translated by Jesse Kirkwood, about people who rent cats from a pet shop for three days. Tinged with magical elements, the stories reveal truths about the human experience, from childhood to old age and every stage in between.
Shigematsu plays with perspective as he moves seamlessly from the shop owner to each new cat's renter; he even includes one story told from a cat's point of view. According to the pet shop owner, only the smartest and most well-behaved cats become "blanket cats," named for the blanket that accompanies them on each journey. Though the cats aren't always well-behaved, they always give the humans what they need, even when that's physical or emotional pain. The humans include a couple with infertility who have withdrawn from their friends' child-filled lives; a middle-aged woman who betrayed her beloved employers; a boy struggling with school bullying; a family sending their aging grandmother to a care home; an aimless young man whose landlord hates cats; a brother and sister running away from home; and a family preparing to move after the breadwinner is laid off from his job. They all experience problems that can't be solved by three days with a cat, but all are deeply affected by their encounters.
Often sad, sometimes explosive, and always emotionally raw, these stories reflect the weight borne by many people every day. The Blanket Cats is filled with grief, rage, and despair, but it ultimately celebrates family, resilience, and the power of connection. --Dainy Bernstein, freelance reviewer