I Expected to be Sad and Was Still Heartbroken, or, The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

"For the rest of my life, I would remember all the shades of red Satoru mentioned that day."

A man and his cat trundle across Japan in a silver van.

I knew that this was going to rip my heart out. I love cats, so I get very easily emotional when it comes to them. With this being from the point of view OF a cat, I was pretty sure that it was going to be rough; animal POV books are often terribly sad. When I realized that it was about a man trying to find a new home for his cat, I almost didn't read it. I didn't think my heart could handle it.

I am so grateful to my past self for sticking it out.

The story of Nana, the cat with the tail shaped like a 7, was excellent. I feel like this author was a cat in her past life or something. I have owned cats all my life, and have three right now, so I know them well. Nana was the essential cat. What really struck me was how he would pretend to not care about his owner Satoru at first, but it was clear that he very much loved the man. That? That is cat through and through - they are going to love you in their own way, on their own schedule.

I did prefer when the story was told from Nana's point of view as compared to Satoru's past with each friend he visited, though I understand why it was done that way. This was the story of Satoru's life, from his childhood friend to moving back in with his the aunt who had helped raise him.

Nana just happened to be one of the most important parts of it. Satoru is a cat lover, and will not let just anyone take in his beloved cat (especially not after having to give up his childhood cat). I understand that, because there is nothing I could imagine that would force me to give up my cats. Nana gives us a cat's blunt understanding of the people Satoru brings him to meet - the people, the other cats, the dogs, the horses. From Satoru's apartment to Mt. Fuji to Hokkaido, Nana impacts everyone he meets. For a cat that does not want to be stroked, it's quite an accomplishment.

Of course, for Nana, nothing is impossible.

I cried. I will admit that readily. I hid from my fiancee to finish this book and wept like the smallest baby in the world at the end. And then I went and held all of my cats for way too long. I have the scratch marks to prove it.

5 out of 5 salty, salty pickles. ((And Nana calling his cat food "crunchies" is just about too much to bear,))

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