Mai Mochizuki has written a fairy tale for adults (translated from the Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood) that has talking cats managing a pop-up coffee shop in Kyoto. It was inspired by the myth of cats returning favours to humans who are kind to them.

The coffee shop materialises on the night of the full moon. Customers are lured to it to receive life-changing advice and absolutely delicious desserts. The author has chosen five customers, apparently at random, for us to overhear their discussions with the cats. We find out what is causing the customers angst and what they can do to change the situation. Gradually, we realise the customers have not been chosen at random.

Mizuki is one to whom the cats give advice. She was a successful scriptwriter but has lost her oomph to continue. Another is Akari, a respected director of television shows. She has fallen in love with a married man and is having problems with her conscience. As well as Satsuki, a popular lead actress. She has misbehaved and her popularity is diminishing rapidly.

Two others are Megumi, a gifted hairdresser, and Takeshi, an information technology expert, who fell in love with Megumi years ago, but lost contact. This is a feel-good novel with no violence or swearing. The font is easy to read and the chatty style is appealing.

Although a couple of corny romantic solutions might make the reader groan, the imaginative plot developments are delightful.

Reviewed by Clive Hodges

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mai Mochizuki fell in love with Chihiro Sakurada’s illustrations when she saw them on social media, and they inspired her to write The Full Moon Coffee Shop.