I struggled with the characters' names but became totally engrossed in the stories once I remembered who was who.
Blossums and Shadows is a very different book. It is based on historical events in Japan in the mid 19th Century but is narrated by the fictional character Tsuro. It was a period of internal division and rivalries between the hundreds of domains at a time when the semi-feudal government of the Shogun was beginning to crumble. Coupled with external threats of foreigners who arrived with guns and modern warfare ideas, Japan was in a very volatile state.
Tsuro is the daughter of a local doctor. Being a female, she cannot be a doctor so she works in the pharmacy. Her older sister has been married off and moved away so Tsuro is isolated. Tradition dictates that she too will marry someone of her father's choosing but he is broadminded and allows her some leeway. Eventually Tsuro marries a young doctor but life and love are complicated, particularly when children are not forthcoming and the country is on the brink of war.
This book has a huge cast; of course with names unfamiliar to me so I am unable to distinguish between christian and surname which seem to be used interchangeably. To make it more difficult, changing one's name on a whim seems to be quite commonplace. It took me days to read the first few pages of the book as I repeatedly had to refer to the character list. The story includes both fictional and real historical people which added to my confusion.
Perhaps it was my difficulty with the character names or the historical content but I found the book lacked flow at times. I never really understood who Tsuro was despite the difficult and unconventional life she led. The story includes a heady mix of politics, love, war, gender identity issues and male domination, all of which Tsuro tries to describe. I feel it was all a bit much for one character in one story to cover.
I have had a fascination with Japan since a visit in my early twenties so I have posted some beautiful photos that I found free for public use on the internet. The links are below if you wish to explore more.
