Mr. Katō Plays Family

A Novel

By: Milena Michiko Flašar, Caroline Froh - translator

Narrated by: Brian Nishii

"Tokyo-born-and-raised multilingual Nishii makes an ideal cipher for the recently retired Mr Katō..."—Booklist

Milena Michiko Flašar's Mr Katō Plays Family is an eccentric second-lease-on-life novel for fans of A Man Called Ove and Beautiful World, Where Are You.

Mr Katō—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 Katō 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Forge Books.

©2023 Milena Michiko Flašar and Caroline Froh (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

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