Lian Hearn's Blossoms And Shadows is a piece of historical fiction that places a young woman from the area of Japan then known as Choshu (now called the Yamaguchi Prefecture) in the centre of events in her country in the years between 1857 and 1867.
To really get the most out of the book, you'll first need some kind of understanding of what was going on in the country at the time, so here's a bit of context. It was a very tumultuous time in Japan. The power of the Shogunate was waning, and support to reinstate the Emperor as the leader of the country was rising (for the last 700 years, the Emperor had merely been a figurehead with the true authority falling on the Shogun). The perception of the Shogunate wasn't helped by the fact that they were negotiating trade deals with people from the West. This was probably a good thing in hindsight, but all Japan had been hearing about how France, Holland, America, England and Russia had managed to force China into submission and effectively take control of what they always thought of as the most powerful country in the world. So a movement known as 'sonno joi' was formed (sonno = revere the Emperor, joi = expel the barbarians).
Some of the attacks on foreigners led to some serious repercussions for the country that severely damaged the psyche of the Japanese people. To put it into context, people had attempted to invade Japan twice in the past. Both times were armies from China and Korea. Both times what saved them was a freak thunderstorm wiping out the invading forces before they ever got to the country. This led to the belief that Japan was protected from harm by a "divine wind" and their honour was enough for them to win any war. Then they came face to face with our guns and cannons that literally ripped people apart before they could get close enough to fire an arrow or run you through with their swords.
Tsuru is the daughter of a doctor, whose elder sister has just been married to wealthy pharmacists in the nearby town of Hagi. Her elder brother is currently studying in Nagasaki, and as Tsuru's knowledge is almost equal to that of her father, her family make the decision to find a husband for her to come and live with them, instead of the usual arrangement. However, because she is a woman, she can never hope to fulfil her dream to become a doctor herself. Her uncle, who is only two years older than herself has joined the school run by Yoshida Shoin along with multiple people who will become key players in the years ahead, including several people who would become key members of Japan's first parliament.
Tsuru's story has her intermingle with all of these historical figures in some way as she travels between Choshu, Kyoto and Nagasaki, and overcoming various personal trials along the way. At one point, at the suggestion of a bi-polar artist she has befriended, she disguises herself as a man in order to help administer to injuries at war, where she runs into her uncle who she hadn't seen in years, and the pair embark on a short-lived incestuous relationship. It might just be my personal morality coming into play here, but I found that particular sub-plot distracting, and couldn't really fathom the justification that her new life has made her more free, and in her old life she was so oppressed that a relationship with her uncle wouldn't have been allowed.
Apart from that, and the fact that she could easily pass for a man because she was largely built with big feet and hands, though (and how refreshing it is for the lead character not to be a flawless beauty), I get the impression that Tsuru may have been a little too perfect. I know the author had to get the point across that she was a highly skilled doctor who tragically would never be able to officially claim that title, but it seems that any illness that came her way she would immediately know the cure or treatment for. The only people she's shown not saving have wounds so great from battle that no one could have saved them. But those are my only two big criticisms, and the rest of the book is a meticulously researched and interesting look into some of the most important events in the history of Japan. Considering how much of the turmoil was created by the Western powers, it's actually quite criminal that more people don't know of what happened there, and I'd recommend it to anybody with even a passing interest in history.
Periodically, the action will leave the first person account of Tsuru to focus on vital events in the lives - and quite often deaths - of the real life characters. I've heard this criticised, but I find these sections to be vital for the understanding of what is going on in the main plot, and it helps to have some insight into other characters.
And talking of deaths, there are parts of this book that are not for the squeamish. They don't last long, but the description of what's left after one particular battle against Western cannons stays in the memory in particular. So despite, being written by a woman and told from a woman's perspective, it definitely shouldn't only be considered as a book for women. There's much in here for both genders to appreciate. It's something I think the publishers didn't particularly do well with emphasising when coming up with the covers for it, so it does definitely look like a book that only women would enjoy, all pinks and flowers. Considering there are different covers for the Harry Potter and Discworld books nowadays, it would probably be a good idea to start doing covers for certain books that most men wouldn't feel self-conscious reading.
Lian Hearn's Blossoms And Shadows is a piece of historical fiction that places a young woman from the area of Japan then known as Choshu (now called the Yamaguchi Prefecture) in the centre of events in her country in the years between 1857 and 1867.
To really get the most out of the book, you'll first need some kind of understanding of what was going on in the country at the time, so here's a bit of context. It was a very tumultuous time in Japan. The power of the Shogunate was waning, and support to reinstate the Emperor as the leader of the country was rising (for the last 700 years, the Emperor had merely been a figurehead with the true authority falling on the Shogun). The perception of the Shogunate wasn't helped by the fact that they were negotiating trade deals with people from the West. This was probably a good thing in hindsight, but all Japan had been hearing about how France, Holland, America, England and Russia had managed to force China into submission and effectively take control of what they always thought of as the most powerful country in the world. So a movement known as 'sonno joi' was formed (sonno = revere the Emperor, joi = expel the barbarians).
Some of the attacks on foreigners led to some serious repercussions for the country that severely damaged the psyche of the Japanese people. To put it into context, people had attempted to invade Japan twice in the past. Both times were armies from China and Korea. Both times what saved them was a freak thunderstorm wiping out the invading forces before they ever got to the country. This led to the belief that Japan was protected from harm by a "divine wind" and their honour was enough for them to win any war. Then they came face to face with our guns and cannons that literally ripped people apart before they could get close enough to fire an arrow or run you through with their swords.
Tsuru is the daughter of a doctor, whose elder sister has just been married to wealthy pharmacists in the nearby town of Hagi. Her elder brother is currently studying in Nagasaki, and as Tsuru's knowledge is almost equal to that of her father, her family make the decision to find a husband for her to come and live with them, instead of the usual arrangement. However, because she is a woman, she can never hope to fulfil her dream to become a doctor herself. Her uncle, who is only two years older than herself has joined the school run by Yoshida Shoin along with multiple people who will become key players in the years ahead, including several people who would become key members of Japan's first parliament.
Tsuru's story has her intermingle with all of these historical figures in some way as she travels between Choshu, Kyoto and Nagasaki, and overcoming various personal trials along the way. At one point, at the suggestion of a bi-polar artist she has befriended, she disguises herself as a man in order to help administer to injuries at war, where she runs into her uncle who she hadn't seen in years, and the pair embark on a short-lived incestuous relationship. It might just be my personal morality coming into play here, but I found that particular sub-plot distracting, and couldn't really fathom the justification that her new life has made her more free, and in her old life she was so oppressed that a relationship with her uncle wouldn't have been allowed.
Apart from that, and the fact that she could easily pass for a man because she was largely built with big feet and hands, though (and how refreshing it is for the lead character not to be a flawless beauty), I get the impression that Tsuru may have been a little too perfect. I know the author had to get the point across that she was a highly skilled doctor who tragically would never be able to officially claim that title, but it seems that any illness that came her way she would immediately know the cure or treatment for. The only people she's shown not saving have wounds so great from battle that no one could have saved them. But those are my only two big criticisms, and the rest of the book is a meticulously researched and interesting look into some of the most important events in the history of Japan. Considering how much of the turmoil was created by the Western powers, it's actually quite criminal that more people don't know of what happened there, and I'd recommend it to anybody with even a passing interest in history.
Periodically, the action will leave the first person account of Tsuru to focus on vital events in the lives - and quite often deaths - of the real life characters. I've heard this criticised, but I find these sections to be vital for the understanding of what is going on in the main plot, and it helps to have some insight into other characters.
And talking of deaths, there are parts of this book that are not for the squeamish. They don't last long, but the description of what's left after one particular battle against Western cannons stays in the memory in particular. So despite, being written by a woman and told from a woman's perspective, it definitely shouldn't only be considered as a book for women. There's much in here for both genders to appreciate. It's something I think the publishers didn't particularly do well with emphasising when coming up with the covers for it, so it does definitely look like a book that only women would enjoy, all pinks and flowers. Considering there are different covers for the Harry Potter and Discworld books nowadays, it would probably be a good idea to start doing covers for certain books that most men wouldn't feel self-conscious reading.