Originally published in 2016 as 彼女と彼女の猫 (Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko). The story was serialized in Kodansha'sMonthly Afternoon& subsequently combined into one book.For fans of Mieko Kawakami'sBreasts & Eggs& Murata Sayaka'sEarthlings, this Japanese bestseller from renowned anime director Makoto Shinkai features four inspirational & heartwarming vignettes following women & their cats in their quests for love & connection.Lying alone on the edge of the sidewalk in an abandoned cardboard box,a nameless narratorcontemplates the indifferent world around him. With his mother long gone, his only company is the sound of the nearby train. Just as he fears that the end is near, a young woman peers down at him, this fateful encounter changing their lives forever.So begins the first story inShe & Her Cat, a collection of four interrelated, stream-of-conscious short stories in whichfour women & their feline companionsexplore the frailty of life, the pain of isolation, & the limits of communication.With clever narration alternating between the cats & their oownersShe & Her Catoffers a unique & sly commentary on human foibles & our desire for connection. Awhimsical short story anthologyunlike any other, it effortlessly demonstrates that even in our darkest, most lonesome moments, we are still united to this wondrous world—often in ways we could never have expected.°°°Makoto Shinkaiis aJapanesedirector, writer, producer, animator, editor, cinematographer, voice actor, manga artist, & former graphic designer.Shinkaibegan his career as a video game animator with Nihon Falcom in 1996 & gained recognition as a filmmaker with the release of the five-minute original video animationShe & Her Cat.Ginny Tapley Takemoriis the award-winning translator ofConvenience Store WomanbySayaka Murata& other acclaimedJapanesefiction. She lives in ruralJapan.