"Only the Cat Knows stands out in its depiction of a man trapped by debt and consumed by his sense of inadequacy. This honest portrayal of money and power and the many ways they weigh on our lives is timely and captures the sense of our current times as well as the economic woes that sometimes lead to desperate and tragic ends."--Donna Hemans, author of Tea by the Sea "Set in rural China during the 1970s, Ruyan Meng's debut novel Only the Cat Knows is told from the point of view of a young factory worker married to a woman who stays home with their three children, two of whom suffer from ramifications of malnutrition. His wife could in theory work, but their sickly children need much attention and there's no one else to care for them. The narrator's salary falls short of monthly expenses for medication and food. Under no illusions that life is fair, he nonetheless sees others in his factory receive paychecks with bonuses and raises."--Asian Review of Books "A bicycle on which to commute to work. A sewing machine with which to sew new clothes.

Eggs, milk, and meat to cure his children of malnutrition. These are a few of the basics the unnamed protagonist of Ruyan Meng's debut novella Only the Cat Knows wishes he could afford. Yet, he only makes 'thirty-seven yuan and seventy-five cents' each month. The amount, imprinted in his mind, haunts him. This inability to afford what his family needs compounded with the fact that he has not received a raise in over a decade form the basis of the novella."--Soapberry Review.