De kat achterna, published in 1977, was Doeschka Meijsing's third novel. The novel loosely tells the story of a young woman's youth, particularly the tug-and-pull relation with a schoolfriend, another young girl. Parts of the story do not seem to fit so well together, at some stage I was wondering whether it is a novel or a collection of tied-in short stories. Perhaps the first part of the story, about the young woman's return from Canada, her ease and luck finding a new home, and her reminiscences about children's toys are a reflection that set her off to think about her childhood.

The title of the book (running) "After the cat" De kat achterna seems to suggest that the main character is very impulsive, as her Canadian adventure was a good example. However, the story of her relation with the other girl has a compulsive element in it. Inexplicable anger, and unstoppable attraction, suggest that this relation was much more than a simple children's friendship. ( )

Best wel ontroerend boek. Doeschka Meijsing beschrijft emoties op een manier die te pruimen is. ( )