The uplifting new Japanese cat novel from the million-copybestselling author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles THE PERFECT READ FOR CATLOVERS ‘Quirky and life-enhancing’ THE TIMES Biggest Books of the Autumn 2023_____________________

Against changing seasons in Japan, seven cats weave theirway through their owners’ lives. – A needy kitten rescued from the recyclingbin teaches a new father how to parent his own human baby

– An elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next worldas a spirit so that he and his owner may be together for ever

– A colony of wild cats on a holiday island shows a youngboy not to stand in nature’s way

– A family is perplexed by their cat’s devotion to theircharismatic but uncaring father

– A woman curses how her cat constantly visits her at nightBursting with empathy and love, THE GOODBYE CAT explores the unstoppable cycleof life as we see how the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat neverlets us down.

A huge bestseller in Japan, every page is a joyouscelebration of cats and how we cannot resist sharing our lives with them. ‘Abook for every cat lover.

An enchanting insight into the mysterious world of cats andtheir humans’ CELIA HADDON, author of Being Your Cat **Includes seven beautifulcat drawings** _____________________

READERS ADORE THE GOODBYE CAT – ‘Wonderful! These cats arecharming and truly come alive.

The book is full of human – or rather, cat kindness’ ***** -‘Irresistible.

This is the first time since The Travelling Cat Chroniclesthat I cried my eyes out over a book’ *****

– ‘I’m glad I didn’t read it outside because I couldn’t stopcrying. Truly life-enhancing’ *****

About the Author

HIRO ARIKAWAis the multi-million-copybestselling author of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES and THE GOODBYE CAT.Passing through a scenic mountainous region of Japan, the famous Hankyu line isa privately run railway that connects Osaka and Kyoto and is famous for itsmaroon-coloured vintage-style carriages. One of its much-visited stops is thecity of Takarazuka, where the author of this book lives. Published twenty yearsago, this enduring Japanese classic has sold 1.4 million copies and has beenpublished worldwide.

Philip Gabrielis the author ofMad Wives and IslandDreams: Shimao Toshio and the Margins of Japanese LiteratureandSpiritMatters: The Transcendent in Modern Japanese Literatureand hastranslated many novels and short stories by the writer Haruki Murakami andother modern writers. He is recipient of the Japan-U.S. Friendship CommissionPrize for the Translation of Japanese Literature (2001) for his translation ofSenji KuroisLife in the Cul-de-Sac, and the 2006PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize for his translation ofMurakami’sKafka on the Shore.