Mr Kato Plays Family by Milena Michiko Flašar, Hardcover, 9781250842497 | Buy online at The Nile
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Mr Kato Plays Family

A Novel

Author: Milena Michiko Flašar  

Hardcover

An eccentric second-lease-on-life novel for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Story of Arthur Truluv.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

An eccentric second-lease-on-life novel for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Story of Arthur Truluv.

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Description

Mr Kato—a curmudgeon and recent retiree—finds his only solace during his daily walks, where he wonders how his life went wrong and daydreams about getting a dog (which his wife won’t allow). During one of these walks, he is approached by a young woman. She calls herself Mie, and invites him to join her business Happy Family, where employees act as part-time relatives or acquaintances for clients in need, for whatever reason, if only for a day.At first reluctant, but then intrigued, he takes the job without telling his wife or adult children. Through the many roles he takes on, Mr Kato rediscovers the excitement and spontaneity of life, and re-examines his role in his own family. Using lessons learned with his “play families,” he strives to reconnect with his loved ones, to become the father and husband they deserve, and to live the life he’s always wanted.

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Critic Reviews

“"What an extraordinary novel this is! Who wouldn't want to read about someone invited to slip into other personas? But there is so much more here. The book is utterly original, beguiling, and truthful in the deepest sense of the word. By turns playful, humorous and poignant, this book invites underlining so that a reader may return again and again to certain lines or scenes. I absolutely loved it." --Elizabeth Berg, New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv "In an atomized society where we feel increasingly distant and isolated from one another, a chance encounter helps a lost retiree keep from retreating. Mr. Kato Plays Family is an elegant ode to the fragile connections that heal us and help us forgive those we love the most." --Marjan Kamali, National bestselling author of The Stationary Shop "A fascinating intrigue and a warmhearted book about life, and what you can do to improve it." --Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, international bestselling author of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules”

"What an extraordinary novel this is! Who wouldn't want to read about someone invited to slip into other personas? But there is so much more here. The book is utterly original, beguiling, and truthful in the deepest sense of the word. By turns playful, humorous and poignant, this book invites underlining so that a reader may return again and again to certain lines or scenes. I absolutely loved it."
--Elizabeth Berg, New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv

"In an atomized society where we feel increasingly distant and isolated from one another, a chance encounter helps a lost retiree keep from retreating. Mr. Kato Plays Family is an elegant ode to the fragile connections that heal us and help us forgive those we love the most."
--Marjan Kamali, National bestselling author of The Stationary Shop

"A fascinating intrigue and a warmhearted book about life, and what you can do to improve it."
--Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, international bestselling author of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules

"Flasar, an acclaimed author of German and Japanese descent, presents the tender story of a man who must reinvent himself after retirement....Readers will float along with the bemused Mr Katō through the dreamlike prose."
--Booklist

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About the Author

MILENA MICHIKO FLASAR was born in 1980, the daughter of a Japanese mother and an Austrian father. Her 2012 novel I Called Him Necktie was a bestseller in Austria, selling over 100,000 copies and winning both the Austrian Alpha Literature Prize and the Euregio Prize. In 2017, Flasar won the Niederösterreich Cultural Prize in Literature. She studied comparative literature at the University of Vienna, and currently is the literary fellow with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture.

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Product Details

Publisher
St Martin's Press
Published
17th July 2023
Pages
208
ISBN
9781250842497

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23%
RRP $42.99
$33.10
Or pay later with
Check delivery options