The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen

For fans of WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY and BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD, discover the second book in the irresistibly uplifting Japanese hit series about cats and the healing power of food.

**Contains four mouth-watering recipes**

The Chibineko Kitchen is no ordinary restaurant: the food can bring someone you've lost back to you, for one last time.

It's been months since Kotoko first visited the tiny restaurant by the sea. Now she works there, alongside the chef Kai and his mischievous kitten Chibi.

One sunny morning, the restaurant opens its doors to Nagi, a young woman facing an impossible choice. Should she marry her boyfriend, despite knowing she only has a few years left to live, or protect him from pain by refusing? She is desparate for advice from the one person no longer around to give it - her mother.

Next to visit are an anxious man rebuilding his life after shutting himself away for years, a lonely widow unaware that she is surrounded by friends, and an actor hoping to rekindle his career. Each leaves the restaurant nourished and reminded of what matters most in life.

Moving and irresistibly uplifting, The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen is a culinary hug for the soul. 

Review

Praise for THE CHIBINEKO KITCHEN ― :

As warm and comforting as the meals it describes . . . Takahashi is skilled at creating cozy, tranquil scenes, with light-dappled, evocative descriptions . . . The charming characters have moving narratives. The food, which is sensorially described, has a starring role as well, with regional and cultural exposition and recipes at the end of each chapter. Soul-nourishing ― Shelf Awareness

A warm hug of a novel . . . set at a snug seaside café near Tokyo, where the food offers customers a chance to see the people they've loved and lost ― AARP

Charming . . . Easy to read, this book will take readers on an emotional and nourishing journey ― Seattle Times

Heartwarming . . . If you enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, you might enjoy this magical tale set in a seaside town outside of Tokyo ― Savvy Tokyo

Hanako Footman's narration is as warm and delicious as the meals at the Chibineko Kitchen . . . Footman's soft, calm tone and precise pronunciation of Japanese words and places create the perfect ambiance for this translated work steeped in Japanese culture, locations, traditions, and sensibilities. Keep a notepad handy if you plan to capture the recipe in each chapter's transcendent encounter ― AudioFile Magazine

 

About the Author

Yuta Takahashi (1972-) was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, where the novel is set. He is the celebrated author of several series spanning historical and contemporary fiction.