“The Cats of the Full Moon Café,” Mai Mochizuki’s debut novel, became a bestseller in Japan and was released in more than 20 countries; read the excerpt
“The Café da Lua Cheia does not have a fixed address. It appears every hour in one place: sometimes in the shopping center you frequent, at the terminal station of the railway line or even on the quiet banks of a river. And our place does not we accept customer requests. We have prepared a drink, a dessert or an exclusive dish for you. Who knows, maybe it’s all just a dream… – said the tricolor cat, smiling with his eyes almost closed.”
Imagine that you are not very happy with the outcome of some decisions you have made in life and you don’t know what to do from that point on. Now, imagine that, while you are walking lost on a full moon night, a mysterious café suddenly appears in front of you. You are invited to sit down, but not by any employee but by a two-meter tricolor cat! This is the premise of The Cats of the Full Moon Café, debut novel by Japanese author Mai Mochizukiwhich has sold more than 300,000 copies in Japan and has sold the rights in more than 20 countries.
Surrounded by classical music and a menu full of appetizing foods and drinks inspired by the Solar System, the four protagonists are assisted by cats named after the planets and astrology experts, who read their astral charts and give precious advice so that these people can continue their journey. voyage. paths that are more in tune with one’s personality, in a more aware and promising way.
In the end you will learn that our problems are not as difficult to solve as we imagine and that if we dedicate ourselves, with a little help from the stars and cats, we will be able to follow the right path, achieving the goals we seek. with ease and success.
Read an excerpt from The Cats in the Full Moon Café
It was the beginning of April. A cool breeze came through the window I left open and brought the scent of spring, as well as a beautiful piano melody. The music was Greeting of Loveby Elgar.
Suddenly, as if attracted by the music, a cat appeared on the sun terrace of the porch. No pets were allowed in the building, so the cat must have belonged to a neighbor. It was a tricolor, with white, brown and black fur.
I stopped cutting what I was preparing in the kitchen and just looked at it. It was fascinating the way he walked along the narrow surface of the door without losing his balance, with such elegance. With the cloudless blue sky and cherry tree in the background, the scene looked like a painting.
On the other hand, I didn’t even have a shred of artistic sense. I was cooking – sort of – an inelegant lunch: I was chopping chives for instant ramen and preparing to sauté carrots, bean sprouts and spinach in sesame oil.
The cat stopped in the middle of the door and squinted, seeming delighted by the sound of the piano. The long tail swung like a pendulum.
My apartment was small, with only one room, which meant that the distance from the kitchen to the balcony was very short. Perhaps because it felt my gaze, the feline turned and meowed. It wasn’t the “Love Greeting”, but it was the cat’s greeting.
I smiled, washed my hands and went there. Opening the mosquito net I realized that the cat was no longer in the sun. I looked around and couldn’t find it. Since I live on the third floor, I was afraid that it might slip and fall. I looked over there, but I couldn’t find him either. I smiled, relieved. Cats don’t fall like that, I thought, and put my hands on the doorframe.
THE Greeting of Love it was already finished. Now he played Study Opus 10, nº 3by Chopin, also called Sadthe farewell song.
Goodbye… I took a long sigh and lowered my head. Saying goodbye to someone you love affects everyone, especially a 40-year-old woman who dreams of getting married and believes she’s found the right person. We had been together for so long that his presence had become very natural to me. But the truth is that there are no “natural” things. Well, if that’s the case, then maybe cats could slip and fall.
Taken by this worry again, I lowered my gaze again, but there was no sign of the animal. He actually had to be fine. It was me who fell.
Where did I go wrong? I asked myself.
I heard children’s voices coming from downstairs and looked in the direction of the noise. There were children around, who must have been on holiday. Tension gave way to nostalgia: Were the students he cared for at the time okay?
Should I really have given up being a teacher? Ah, but if I were still teaching, brats would still ask me invasive questions like “Teacher, aren’t you married?”, and if they asked me that right then I’d probably end up bursting into tears in front of them. the class. It would have been better that way. I nodded as if trying to convince myself of it.
I went back into the apartment and closed the screen door. Only then did I realize that the sound of the piano could no longer be heard.
The cats at the Full Moon Café
- Author: Mai Mochizuki
- Trans.: Ayumi Anraku
- Publisher: Intrínseca (R$ 49.90; R$ 34.90 for the e-book; R$ 34.99 for the audiobook)
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
