On a cool summer evening in 1977, Mayumi Inaba hears a forlorn cry carried by the breeze off Tokyo’s Tamagawa River. She follows the sound to the riverbank and finds a newborn kitten only the size of her palm dangling from a fence, abandoned. Overcome by tender affection, she takes the cat back to the small apartment she shares with her husband and christens her Mii: so begins an ineffable bond.

Over the next twenty years, we follow Inaba, a poet and novelist by moonlight, as she pursues quiet, solitude, and a room of her own. Through it all, her cat, a fiercely independent creature in her own right, is her confidante and muse.

From the late Mayumi Inaba, a winner of the Kawabata Prize and the Tanizaki Prize, Mornings Without Mii is not just a love letter to companionship: it’s a poignant, searching meditation on the forces that enable us to connect, to create, and to build a life.

i love reading books about cats and this one was definitely good! i loved the short stories, they kept me hooked. the writing was excellent!

This book surprised me… initially I thought it was going to be a cute story about a lady and her cat which to an extent it was but as the book progresses, the cat’s suffering increases. I found the early moments between mii and Inaba beautiful but I did grow bored of the work life/husband relationship. I also became angry at Inaba’s decision to prolong Mii’s existence well beyond the point where Mii was able to function independently. The pacing of the book was quite slow as well meaning it took me a while to finish the book. The poems ending each chapter were a beautiful touch though.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

In Mornings Without Mii, Mayumi Inaba reflects on the absence of her beloved cat, Mii, who was once an integral part of her daily life. The book captures the quiet emptiness that fills her mornings as she adjusts to life without her companion. Through this absence, Inaba explores themes of loss, solitude, and the deep bond she shared with Mii. Her reflections bring to light the lingering presence of loved ones in the routines they leave behind, making the book a poignant meditation on grief, memory, and the enduring impact of companionship.

Mornings without Mii would likely feel a bit quieter and perhaps emptier, missing that comforting presence and companionship. The usual routines would lack the warmth of Mii's company, and moments of relaxation might not feel quite as complete. Little routines that bring joy, like petting or interacting with Mii, would be noticeably absent, making mornings feel a bit lonelier and less lively overall.

This is truly a beautiful and feeling story of the love we have for our furry companions! Some parts were a little sad but, overall it was heartwarming! My feel good, go to! Highly recommend this!

I was expecting to read about a loving relationship between a woman and her cat but was disappointed. The book started off strong taking about finding Mii and about a previous cat and the love her family member had for it. Unfortunately there were parts of the book that just did not sit well with me, touching on neglect I understand Japan in the 70s was tough for pet owners, not being able to afford care, I did see some love as she did care for Mii but many times, it just felt like there was just a cat in her life, just there. I feel the description of this doesn’t showcase what this is about. I was expecting a more loving, upbeat feel, of a relationship between a women and her cat, but I felt it was lacking the love and affection part. As a cat lover, and one who enjoys both Fiction and Non-Fiction books on cats, this was a let down.

This book was first published in 2014 in Japan and is the memoir of a woman and her relationship with her cat. She first finds Mii as a kitten in 1977. She was stuck in a fence, most likely put there by some awful person. For the next 20 years, Mii is her best friend, child and constant companion. I enjoyed the love story part of it because I love cats and have been very bonded to several of them over the years. I also enjoyed the beautiful poetry at the end of each chapter. 

There were some parts I didn't like that I want to warn sensitive people about. I know I appreciate knowing things ahead of time if they are going to bother me so I can choose to pass or not. The author referred to several strays or neighborhood cats that did not have good lives. This is in several chapters so you may want to skip this book if that will bother you. Overall, though it is a beautiful love story.

this was cute, but i do think i expected more from it than what i eventually got. i’m not too into “cozy” books as a concept but this one could definitely be classified as such.

I chose this book as I thought it would be a lovely memoir of a woman and her beloved cat. However I just found it desperately sad. The writing (in translation) was reflective and descriptive and the included poems were thoughtful.
But as the story developed and we read about Mayumi choosing cat over husband (and pretty much everything else apparently) and Mii’s declining health described in great and horrific detail up to her final gasping breath….I find it inconceivable from our Western point of view that the cat’s suffering was observed yet allowed to continue.
Sorry, not for me and cannot recommend to any animal lover.

Mornings Without Mii is a sweet and quiet memoir
of both the author and her cat. The stories are told from the moment she found Mii as a tiny kitten until 20 years later when the cat passed away from old age. Every other chapter or so ended with an original poem which added a nice touch to this memoir. Mayumi Inaba doesn't share many details of her life or her feelings, so this felt quite like her story only scratched the surface.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Mornings Without Mii is the memoir of a writer's life with her cat. That is the entire story. And yet within those parameters there is an entire world of love and longing, of living in and without nature, of relationships and responsibilities. Although covering completely different ground, the book this most reminds me of is Jill Ciment's memoir from earlier this year, Consent. Both books are alarmingly honest glimpses into the authors' lives - impossibly vulnerable details delivered in clear, concise language. I found both books devastatingly brutal and beautifully loving at the same time. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC.

In one sense, this memoir was a difficult read. I am not sure if it was the translation or the author's writing style, but I struggled at times with the language. I do not share a cultural context with Mayumi Inaba, I had to work to understand the time and place she describes. These are not negatives in my mind. I think reading should challenge us at times. Sure, I love a fluffy comfort read now and again. But I also like books which stretch me in new and interesting ways. There were off-hand observations I found utterly appalling, and beautiful turns of phrases I rolled around on my tongue to savor. Any effort I put into the book was richly rewarded. In another sense, this was an easy read. It is short and much of it covers ground familiar to anyone who has loved a pet.

I treasured this glimpse into a life so different from my own.

The stories themselves were charming and lovely and had that spark of oddness that one often finds in Japanese literature. But that said, the translation seems to be a hot mess. The sentences are awkward and often failed to make any sense. It just feels like something is missing... a disconnect of sorts. Obviously it also needs a good editing before it is sent out in the world. I hope there is a way to let the author shine and to capture more of the original as this was, according to reviews, very well received in the original form. As a cat lover, I expected more. As it stands now, I wonder how it will be received.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this read. I hope it gets some good editing before it is released!

This book may have lost a lot in translation for me, but it was not an enjoyable read. I had to work at it, skimming parts, as I wondered why the author seemed to go off on tangents. And this started right from the beginning with the color yellow. It also just about made me not like the author, ( yes, I know she saved the cat), but there are times where it seems that she doesn't take care of Mii. I thank NetGalley and Farra, Straus, & Giroux for the advance peak.