Having been the beneficiary of the profound changes cats can bring into our lives for a good part of my own life, I always enjoy memoirs about life changing cats. In The Cat with Three Passports: What a Japanese cat taught me about an old culture and new beginning, CJ Fentiman shares the story of how Gershwin, a bedraggled silver tabby she rescues from the streets, not only changed her travel plans, but changed her life in ways she never expected.
This book is part cat memoir and part travelogue. The author’s descriptive writing style makes you feel as if you were right there in the land of cats and cherry trees. I really didn’t know much about Japanese culture, and thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of the book. Did you know that the Japanese recommend “forest bathing” as stress relief from living in crowded cities? The author takes us along as she explores ancient temples, crazy festivals, and the famed Cat Island.
Ultimately, this book is about CJ finding her ikigai, a Japanese concept referring to having a direction or purpose in life and providing a sense of fulfillment to a person. Of course, cats play a pivotal role to help her open her heart and mind.
A homeless kitten, an old culture, and new beginnings: I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming memoir. I only wish there had been photos in the book, but you can see those on CJ’s Instagram.
The Cat with Three Passports is available from Amazon.
*The Conscious Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves. I received this book from the publisher. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
