THE GUEST CAT

A seemingly simple story gives way to unexpected depth in Hiraide's international prize winner. David Shih narrates the story of a couple who rent a guesthouse outside of Tokyo to get away from the busy city. Both being writers, they work in the same house yet have become distant from each other--until the guest cat arrives. Shih's narration gives the story a sense of the ordinariness of life while still keeping the listener engaged. Hiraide's poetic prose is brought to life through Shih's plainspoken voice. As the husband and wife begin to interact with the cat, their lives start to take on new meaning, until everything changes. While this is a short novel, listeners may be so charmed that they finish it and start it again immediately. A.G.M. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]