Fudoki (novel)

Fudoki is a 2003 novel by Kij Johnson, set in Japan. This book was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and was declared one of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of 2003 by Publishers Weekly. It features two storylines. The first is that of a dying, unmarried noblewoman in the Emperor's court. The second is that of a cat that is turned into a woman and goes on a journey across Japan.