A review of “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat” in 100 words by Catherine Stover
The Clinic for the Soul is not a psychiatric clinic, though people come there for help with heartache, insomnia, and loneliness. Instead of being given medication or counseling, the patients are prescribed cats. That’s the premise for this Japanese novel, which is part of a new genre called “healing fiction.” My local bookstore has shelves of these cozy, comforting books from Japan and Korea. Many of them have cats on the covers, include some element of magic, and show how troubled people can find peace. I’m a fan. Sometimes, the expert you want most is the one who can purr.
Work cited:
Ishida, Syou. “We’ll Prescribe You A Cat.” Translated by E. Madison Shimoda. Berkley, 2024, p. 5.