El Jardin Del Samurai/the Samurai's Garden

from Pmaurer

Gentle loving book about a young man with tuberculosis that is sent to his family's rural home to heal. Set in the background of the war between the Japanese and the Chinese, it also discusses the shared life of a woman with leprosy and the older man who takes care of both the village and the sic...

from moonbridge

Slow, beautiful and unusual story of a young Chinese man recovering from illness in a tiny remote town in Japan near to a leper's colony. As the Japanese army moves closer to his Hong Kong home, the boy finds a sense of relationship and belonging within the enemy's land. A book to be savored.

from Beamis12

A wonderfully written and poignant story. Stephen is sent from China to his grandfather's beach house in Japan. It is here that is life becomes entwined with Matsu and Sachi, a leper colony and a young first love with a Japanese girl. He learns about the Japanese invasion of China from radio broa...

from CarolynSchroeder

This is an interesting, pensive little novel taking place in a Japanese seaside village over a year, through dairy entries by Stephen, a young Chinese man recouperating from tuberculosis during WWII. Back in China, the Japanese "devils" are dominating his homeland, yet Stephen befriends the quiet...

from mostlyliterary

The Samurai's Garden is among my favorite novels. The images and tone and quiet but profound relationships between the characters continue to stay present with me. Gail Tsukiyama is a master at communicating subtleties in human relationships by showing, not telling.