Le chat qui reliait les âmes au café Pont

Messenger Cat #1

by Nagi Shimeno, Anne-Claire Leroux (Translator)

Bienvenue au café Pont, où les âmes se retrouvent… grâce à un chat prêt à tout pour revoir sa maîtresse une dernière fois.

Après une vie pleine d’amour aux côtés de Michiru, Fuuta, un chat tigré, vient de franchir les portes de l’au-delà. Mais entre son monde et celui de sa maîtresse subsistent des passerelles invisibles… L’occasion rêvée pour Fuuta de lui dire au revoir.

Au café Pont, plongé dans les limbes, chaque client porte en lui un regret, un message jamais livré. Grâce à un battement de queue, Fuuta convoque les âmes disparues pour offrir à ceux qui restent une chance de dire enfin ce qu’ils n’ont jamais osé confier.

Si Fuuta accomplit cinq missions, il pourra revoir Michiru une dernière fois. Parviendra-t-il à se lover à nouveau sur ses genoux et à lui offrir un dernier ronron de gratitude ?

Un roman tendre et poétique, où l’amour et les souvenirs défient le passage du temps.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Japan, Cats, Japanese Literature, Cozy Fantasy, Animals

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2022

About the author

Nagi Shimeno (Author) Nagi Shimeno is a writer and café owner based in Tokyo. She was a 1st Delicious Literature Award finalist and is the author of the Café Dodo and Messenger Cat series.

Reviews

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Messenger Cat Cafe is a heartfelt tale structured as a series of reunion-related vignettes. Fuuta, a recently deceased cat, takes on a messenger job, sending words of consolation and encouragement from the afterlife (and sometimes life) to grieving loved ones. This then allows them to move on in their journeys, having "spoken with" their loved one, having heard the words in their heart.

The premise is intriguing, the case-by-case structure effective, and the solace that Fuuta provides heartwarming. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a calm, soothing balm for the heart.

[Dragana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Korektno. Dopao mi se mačak, kafe i ceo koncept. Nažalost, neke priče (većina) su bile ravne i nisu me zanimali likovi. Poslednja priča i epilog su najslađi deo knjige i da je cela takva ocena bi bila veća.
Čitala bih nastavke.

[Rita Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐

[Majo · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lindo!
Ternura total este libro y en el epílogo me fue inevitable contener la lágrima.
Este libro llegó oportunamente, fue un refugio y muy reconfortante tras días algo estresantes y no solo me brindó calma, me despertó una ternura inmensa el gatito gris, Fūta que me recordó muchísimo a mi peluche..
El mensaje del libro es precioso. 🌈🪽🐾
La narrativa es hermosa, me encanta leer sobre sus patitas y sus ronroneos y todo lo que hacen los gatitos.. lo amé.

Destaco las siguientes frases para volver muy pronto a ellas:

⁃ no tiene sentido preocuparse de lo que aún no ha sucedido.
⁃ Según dicen, al morir, las mascotas esperan a sus dueños en el puente arcoíris hasta que puedan reencontrarse en el más allá.
⁃ Los padres quieren que sus hijos sean felices y los hijos quieren que los padres no se preocupen por ello. Al menos en este aspecto los gatos y los humanos nos parecemos.
⁃ Es cierto lo que dicen sobre los gatos atigrados: tenemos un fuerte sentido de la responsabilidad.
⁃ Obon, el festival de los difuntos.
⁃ Higan, que es un festival que se celebra en los equinoccios de primavera y otoño.
⁃ En mi corazón le doy gracias a mi madre a quien nunca conocí.
⁃ Para ellas es duro separarse de sus hijos, pero lo hacen porque su deseo de que crezcan sanos y felices, aunque sea lejos de ellas, es incluso más fuerte.
⁃ Si una gata da a luz en la calle no puede cuidar de su camada ella sola. Así que coge a sus cachorritos y busca una casa donde puedan hacerlo

[gloooooriaaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

se ha sentido como un abrazo al corazón ❤️❤️❤️ muy bonito, sensible y muy fácil de leer ❤️❤️❤️

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A heartwarming piece of healing fiction translated from Japanese, Messenger Cat Café is a welcome addition to the recent trend in cat-related fiction.

In this book, the worlds between the living and the dead are quite close and liminal spaces allow travel between them. Recently deceased cat Fuuta takes a job in the afterlife as a messenger cat at Café Pont to earn the reward of seeing his still living owner, Michiru, earlier than the typical waiting period.

Messenger cats are tasked with arranging meetings between people who cannot normally meet with one another for whatever reason, but have to do so with a certain finesse as to not disturb the delicate balance of the world.

Determined to be reunited with Michiru as soon as possible, Fuuta must investigate his clients and deliver creative solutions to satisfy these unique requests.

The writing can be simple, but it lends to the cozy, reassuring feeling that the novel has, and the interesting characters and charming worldbuilding really make this a delightful, bittersweet, and very healing read.

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

espero que tenha continuação
Foi super fofinho e adorei que fosse narrada pelo gato, no entanto houveram algumas coisas que ainda ficaram um pouco confusas para mim
E também não realizaram o encontro que o gato da ponte queria 😔😔

[Ila Corsalini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bello, intenso e profondo come solo un libro giapponese (in particolare un libro su un caffè e gatti) può esserlo.

Ho provato tantissime emozioni durante la lettura che non riuscirei a esprimerle in parole ma io desidererei tantissimo che i nostri amici animali possano realmente venirci a trovare ogni tanto. Sarebbe altrettanto bello poter ricevere dei piccoli messaggi dai nostri cari defunti, anche celati sotto forma di un profumo, fiore o piccola coincidenza.

Ho letto questo libro in un momento in cui pensavo tantissimo al mio cane venuto a mancare due anni fa; mi sono incolpata per non aver fatto di più e avrei tanto voluto avergli dato anche solo un bacino e una carezza in più.
Non ho letto nemmeno la trama, stranamente, mi ci sono buttata a capofitto solo perchè la copertina era intrigante e volevo cambiare un po' dai soliti romance. Eppure... mi è arrivato proprio quando ne avevo così tanto bisogno.

Sono una ragazza che fa caso a ogni singola piccola cosa che succede intorno a me quindi per me questo libro è stato proprio la prova che loro ci guardano nel mondo azzurro e ogni tanto ci vengono a trovare. Basta solo accorgersene.

[ELisabete Marques · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Lucía Colomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro es para aquellos a quienes les gustan los relatos cortos sobre la vida.
Personalmente, es una lectura fácil y rápida, que te emociona. Me parece imposible no empatizar con al menos uno de los relatos.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just said goodbye to my cat on February 18th. Needing a distraction, I naturally went to the bookstore. While examining a book I've been wanting to read, I kept hearing this little voice telling me to look to my left. I turned my head to look at the shelf to my left and this book was staring out at me. My first reaction was, I can't possibly read this right now, it will hurt too much. But not believing in coincidences, I decided to trust the little voice and took the book to the register.
It was exactly what I needed.
What a beautiful world Shimeno has created where cats are the messengers between the land of the living and the afterlife. The protagonist cat, Fuuta, must figure out how to deliver five messages before he is allowed to see his owner from the land of the living.
It is a story that feels very old, like a folk tale, but is also fresh. I guess I would say it feels timeless.
It is told in concise language and the story moves at a brisk pace. I almost finished reading it in one sitting.
Touching and uplifting.

[Llanos Montero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le doy 3,5 estrellas, aunque redondeo a 3 porque la edición tiene algunas pequeñas erratas.
Es una lectura ligera y tierna, muy recomendable para cuando apetece algo fácil pero con un toque especial. A pesar de su sencillez, invita a reflexionar sobre las relaciones humanas y cómo nos comunicamos con los demás.
Me ha gustado especialmente el capítulo del profesor, que me ha parecido de los más emotivos y con más fondo.
Sin ser inolvidable, es un libro tierno, que se lee rápido y deja una sensación agradable.

[Bruno Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

É um livro simples, e, no geral, bem escrito. Em algumas partes, fica a ideia de que perdemos informação. Fico na dúvida de de ido à escrita ou à tradução.
A história é muito bonita e aquece o coração. Faz nos indagar sobre a vida, a morte mas sobretudo sobre aqueles que nos fazem a vida ter sentido.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una bella chicca con protagonista un micio super bello.
L’idea alla base è carina:
Una persona fa una richiesta su un cartoncino.
Il gatto porta un messaggio a chi ne ha bisogno, che sia nel mondo azzurro o nel mondo verde.
Le missioni sono una più appassionata dell’altra.
Ovviamente il lieto fine non manca.
Davvero una lettura coccola.

[zaheerah · Rating 5 out of 5]

me at 2am finishing this book:

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️

[Merii · Rating 4 out of 5]

es muy cozy, y aunque la redacción no me ha encantado me ha gustado mucho el libro

[Sofia Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dou 4,5 ⭐️

O fim do livro retrata basicamente o sucesso dos gatos mensageiros, nos quais completaram as 5 missões e na qual a sua recompensa é rever quem quiserem do país verde.
E sinto que foi aqui que faltou mais desenvolvimento…emoções, palavras.. tudo o que mais ansiei no livro todo foi ver o Futa a conseguir o que queria, mas foi algo tão passageiro que enfim :((
Tirando isto, adorei o livro, muito fácil de ler e entender a história. Muito querido e aconchegante.
Confesso que adoro ler livros de autores japoneses.. tenho um fraquinho pela escrita deles 🤍

[Bright Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Messenger Cat Cafe by Nagi Shimeno

This bestselling Japanese book follows Fuuta, an orange tabby cat, who travels as a messenger cat between the afterlife and the land of the living. Once he has successfully delivered five messages he can see his cherished owner Michiru again.

The book follows some of the typical hallmarks of bestselling Japanese fiction in that it tells short, simple stories that involve cats, a cafe, healing and remembrance.

It was a pleasant, relaxing read.

Thank you G.P. Putnam's sons
for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.


February 17th
G.P. Putnam's Sons


#arc #netgalley
#Messengercatcafe #cats
#Japanesebestseller
#Brightbookreviews

[Minkanana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 de 5.
Me ha parecido un libro muy tierno, reflexivo y con pequeñas lecciones de vida pero muy fácil de leer y entretenido.
Le doy un 4,5 porque al iniciar algunos capítulos se repite parte de la historia que ya se ha contado al principio y porque tiene algún error ortográfico que espero que revisen para futuras impresiones.

[Shaitanah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*. Very light and sweet.

[Bookworm Denz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Messenger Cat Café
Author : Nagi Shimeno
Translator : M. Jean

The story begins w/ protagonist Fuuta, a tabby cat w/ a white-striped body, caramel-colored back, & an orange tail, who spent nineteen years of its life as Michiru's pet & died a natural death in its golden years. After arriving in the world of the afterlife, it had undergone a training seminar where it learned about the five tasks' worth of work that are required to cross into the land of the living in order to skip the wait for the standard seven months. Motivated to see its loved ones again, it went to apply for a job at Café Pont.

The shop is a white house topped w/ a triangular roof, & latticed windows graced the face of it on either side of the front door. Nijiko, the cafe's owner, acts as an intermediary between the world of the afterlife & the land of the living. She serves as a middleman by taking requests from the living & then have the cats from the afterlife grant those requests. The café's main service was to arrange meetings between people --- the customers write the name of the person they wish to see on a special card & place it inside the cafe's letterbox, & then it was the messenger cat's job to bring the customer & recepient together.

This book is divided into five tasks, showcasing Fuuta's journey as he takes on the job requests of the living, working as a messenger cat of Café Pont to deliver their messages & finally reach his true purpose, which is to meet his loved ones.

The second task broke my heart. I could not imagine how hard it was to lose an unborn child. Not to mention the grieving & coping after such a painful tragedy is just heartwrenching. The last task was also a punch in the gut. I can not fathom how difficult & challenging it is to deal with a loved one suffering dementia. That feeling of having someone close, yet so far, is just painful. 😞

Fuuta can clearly be a vengeful feline, especially at the end of the third task. I laughed so hard when it sprayed "something" on Yuuji's expensive-looking trousers. I let my imagination ran wild that's for sure. 😂

A touching, soothing & poignant read, this book was written in a simple narrative with a fluid flow translation. Although there were typos here & there, the book did not fail to deliver its true purpose -- to comfort & heal broken hearts. The epilogue was a brief but sweet ending.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

P.S.
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[Books By Your Bedside · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Harvill for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I love Japanese fiction, and there is definitely a recurring theme with fantasy and cats which I enjoy.

It's an unusual, but sensitive and uplifting and positive look at grief and moving on after loss.

The formatting was a bit off on my e-arc so I cannot comment on how the formatting worked with the story in terms of how the published copy will look.

I loved this idea that the gap between the living world and the afterlife is not as big as we think, and that there is this crossover between the living and the dead. As someone who has lost a lot of people in a short amount time, I found that very comforting. Especially reading it in England, because we generally avoid talking about death, and so it's great to read it written about so openly.

This is narrated by the main cat Fuuta, which took some getting used to as, unsurprisingly, I can't relate to a cat, and I do always try to find some common ground in the characters.

It is a relatively short book which means it was nice and quick. The pacing helps with it as well, because some of it is slower and some bits quicker, which helps balance it out.

This is going to be quite a generic statement but bear with me. Like the majority of Asian fiction I read, it is quite repetitive. That's not inherently a negative point. But they tend to fixate on one plot point (in this case, the cat helping a loved on and a deceased individual move on), and stick with it, telling the story over and over again with different characters. Which again is not necessarily bad, and I think the short length helps with this because I think if it went on too longer it would feel a bit too much repetition.

The writing is quite simple - but that could well be the translation - and doesn't really challenge you, but it does lend itself to a cosy, relaxing, familiar, reassuring read.

It's not the best translated book I've ever read, but I did still enjoy it. It's cosy and heartwarming and tender, relaxing and fast paced, sensitive, and almost healing for those who are grieving.

[Neha Garg (thereadingowl_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love healing fiction, and the ones with cats always add a touch of whimsy and magical realism. And thus I had very high expectations from Messenger Cat Cafe. The blurb and the cover just catch your eyes and make the book irresistible, do they not?

The book features a cafe that acts as a bridge between the world of the living and the deceased. People can fill in surveys here mentioning who they want to meet. Nijiko, the cafe owner sorts these requests and then entrusts the meeting to cats called Messenger Cats. These cats can store messages in their tails and then find a way to deliver the message to the requester. Fuuta is one such cat and we see her trying to fulfil 5 such tasks so he can go visit his human in the land of the living as a reward.

I feel I have read so many amazing books in this genre, that this one felt a little short for me. I just couldn’t connect with the stories. They felt half-baked and very vague, thus failing to evoke many emotions in me. I loved the concept truly, but the execution left me wanting. There is a brief mention of Nijiko’s backstory but that too was rushed and it raised more questions for me than answered them.

I was also put off a bit when I found references similar to Lost Souls We Under a Full Moon, like asking if messenger cats were like the mediums of Osore. Or saying that people can’t meet celebrities or historical figures when we know they form some of the stories in Lost Souls. I might be overimagining but I couldn’t overlook it.

Overall, it was a good one-time read. If you love healing fiction, you should give it a try. Your experience could be much different and better than mine.

[Gabrielle (belle.bookcorner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so glad I picked up this short, heart warming piece of Japanese literature.
It’s cute, a little bittersweet, and surprisingly touching all at once.

The story follows Fuuta, a recently deceased cat who finds himself in the afterlife.
Missing his beloved human, Fuuta takes a job at a magical café that exists between the world of the living and the dead.
His work allows him to shorten the time until he can reunite with his human—and along the way, he helps others reconnect with the people they long for most.

Through Fuuta’s missions, we meet a variety of characters: a woman who wishes to see her late father, another who longs to meet her child, and many more.
Each case is tender and emotional, yet handled with a gentle touch.

What I loved most was the way Fuuta delivers these messages. He never disrupts the balance of the world; instead, he finds the simplest, most indirect ways to convey them—through a stranger, a song, or even an object. Every mission kept me curious about how he would choose to pass the message along next.

Overall, The Messenger Cat Café is cozy and healing.
With its charming cat protagonist, emotional yet comforting stories, and easy to read style, it’s the kind of book you can devour in a single sitting. At just around 200 pages, it felt like a warm hug in book form.

I received a review copy through NetGalley, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thanks to the author and publisher!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: grief, death

[Libby Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's the deal with all the Japanese Cat Novels?

If you've ever wondered at the veritable clowder of Japanese books featuring feline characters, have a look at my review of I Am a Cat by Natsume Soseki. I Am a Cat is a Japanese modern classic, and set the scene for scores of copy cats (pardon the pun) and admirers of varying quality.

The Messenger Cat Cafe is a wonderful and distinctive addition to the litter. The book is narrated by Fuuta, an orange tabby who has passed on to the afterlife (called the Land of Blue) and must find a job in order to have the chance to visit his beloved human still living in what he calls the Land of Green. He decides to become a Messenger Cat, passing messages between people in the Lands of Blue and Green.

I have read a number of books in this genre, and while I tend to enjoy them because - cats - this one was special. The Messenger Cat Cafe has much more developed story lines and characters, and both humour and sadness shine through the translation. For a reader from outside of the culture in which this book is set, I learned more about various Japanese views on life, death, the afterlife, and how we can live meaningful lives.

As a Bookseller I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys gentle, heartfelt stories from different cultures that cause the reader to ponder the meaning of life.

Many thanks to the publishers for providing a copy for an impartial review.

[gwen_is_ reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description of this book drew me in. It gave me Before the Coffee Gets Cold vibes, and I just really love cats. It was an adorable premise that I simply could not resist. The world building, both for the cafe and the land of blue, was interesting and well done. I also feel like Fuuta was the perfect messenger cat. ( I may be biased as he reminded me of my old cat, Captain Jack.)

Told in the form of charming vignettes, it was easy for me to go through the book, even when I was busy. There are lots of good stopping points while still allowing it to be one fluid story. The writing can be simplistic sometimes (purposefully, I think. Fuuta would not be one to use flowery phrases), but it lends to the cozy feel of the book. This isn’t a fast book for me, rather it’s one I want to breathe in, consider the stories and let myself feel. It is heartwarming and healing. For me this is a four star book.

As far as adult content, there really isn’t much. You have some drinking, a little light language, as well as references to adultery and emotional trauma. I would say this one is geared towards new adults and adults. There is no real romance here, so zero spice.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley working with Putnam Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The opinions here are my own. My thanks.

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This unfortunately did not really work for me. The entire premise was confusing. The cats' responsibilities, how they got somebody's soul in their tail, and what the messages even were weren't explained well or at all. All that stuff was skipped over which made it seem like the book was missing something.

Saying "the land of green" and "the land of blue" was way more confusing than saying "the afterlife".

One of the people thought a six-year-old wouldn't like chocolate, which is maybe a cultural thing but seems weird to me.

The story is mostly realistic (assuming a cat afterlife), but Fuuta has a friend who becomes a witch's cat, so I guess witches are real.

Fuuta had five tasks and successfully failed four of them. He only managed to do one of his tasks how he actually wanted to. I don't want to root for somebody who is that incompetent.

As cute as these types of books sound (Japanese literature with cats or bookshops or cafes or laundromats where there's one character connecting a lot of different people), I just unfortunately do not like them that much.

CW: prolonged grief over a miscarriage, cheating, death of a cat

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

When the tabby cat Fuuta passes into the afterlife, he wants nothing more than to go back to his human family. However, before a cat can traverse between the two worlds, they must wait 7 months. During those 7 months, Fuuta will be working at the Café Pont as a messenger cat. Once he completes five missions successfully and his seven month period is up, he will be able to go back and see his beloved Michiru. Each chapter details one of his missions to arrange the "meeting." with the person the customer left a message saying they wished to connect with. The stories ranged from sad to heartwarming, but the one that really broke me was when Fuuta got to see his beloved Michiru again. I will admit I shed some tears over that one! I saw that this was book one, so I am excited that this will be a series. If you love books about cats, or if you love books like "Before the Coffee Gets Cold", then this is the perfect book for you!

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'adore ce genre de littérature. On est sur une sorte de #feelgood, avec des chats qui parlent et qui font des blagues, et des humains un peu perdus. Je dis lecture feel-good, mais je ne dis pas lecture légère, parce que chacune des histoires qui nous est racontées est emprunte d'émotions fortes.
Fuuta doit réaliser cinq missions, réunir cinq âmes pour avoir lui aussi, la chance de revoir son humain préféré. C'est donc à travers cinq histoires différentes que nous allons découvrir le café Pont et tous ces personnages.
Et qu'elles histoires ! Il y en a qui m'ont plus touchées que d'autres mais c'est chaque fois raconté d'une telle façon, que nos cœurs se serrent et qu'on mets plein d'espoir dans ce petit chat pour qu'il réalise l'impensable.
J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé cette lecture. C'est plein d'émotion, d'espoir, de bienveillance. Ça donne envie d'appeler ses proches pour leur rappeler qu'on pense à eux et qu'on les aime, parce que parfois plutard, c'est trop tard...