Kinshu: Autumn Brocade (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780811216333)

Life, death, karma--these interwoven themes form the heart of this lyrical novel in letters, Kinshu: Autumn Brocade, the first work to be published in the U.S. by Teru Miyamoto, one of Japan's most popular literary writers.

The word kinshu has many connotations in Japanese--brocade, poetic writing, the brilliance of autumn leaves--and resonates here as a vibrant metaphor for the complex, intimate relationship between Aki and Yasuaki. Ten years after a dramatic divorce, they meet by chance at a mountain resort. Aki initiates a new correspondence, and letter by letter through the seasons, the secrets of the past unfold as they reflect on their present struggles. From a lover's suicide to a father's controlling demands, to Mozart's Thirty-Ninth Symphony ("a veritable marvel of sixteenth notes"), to the karmic consequences of their actions, the story glides through their deeply introspective and stirring exchanges. What begins as a series of accusations and apologies, questions and excuses, turns into a source of mutual support and healing. Chosen as an Outstanding Work of Japanese Literature by the Japanese Literature Publishing Project.

Author: Teru Miyamoto
ISBN-10: 0811216330
ISBN-13: 9780811216333
Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation
Language: English
Published: 10/31/2005
Pages: 208
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 7.34h x 5.32w x 0.84d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2005 pg. 875
Publishers Weekly 08/29/2005 pg. 34
Library Journal 10/01/2005 pg. 68
Multicultural Review 06/01/2006 pg. 65