BLOSSUMS and SHADOWS - Lian Hearn

My first foray into Lian Hearn's writing was the Tales of the Otori which is a series of historical novels based in Feudal Japan. 
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Perhaps it was my difficulty with the character names or the historical content but I found the book lacked flow at times.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. 

• Cherry Blossum
• Ancient Japanese Tombs
• Chofu, Yamaguchi-Prefecture, Japan

SUNDOWN CROSSING- Lynne Wilding

I was given this book by my sister last Christmas. As I opened it, she said, "I thought it would be an easy, relaxing book for the New Year." She was correct. It has a naturally flowing plot with a few twists and turns to keep the pages turning.

The story is based in a vineyard in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, well known as one of the world's greatest wine regions. First settled in the mid 1800s by English and German immigrants, the valley is a mere 25km long but with its hot, dry summers and cool, moderate winters, it manages to produce 21% of Australia's wine. 

Carla, who was born and still lives in New Zealand inherits her father's vineyard when he suddenly dies. Estranged from his wealthy wine making family in the Barossa Valley, her father had left the country and never returned so Carla had no idea that he owned the vineyard.

Carla, her young son and Angie, partner of her father and vigneron make the difficult decision to bring the vineyard back to life and make it profitable.

This is not easy because of the ruinous state of the vineyard and the vendetta that is mounted by her estranged relatives in an attempt to cause it to fail. The family want her to sell the land to them and will stop at little to achieve this. 

Of course, true grit, hard work and love win over and we have a "happily ever after" story. The large wealthy family grow to love Carla after realising that she had nothing to do with events that occurred before she was born. The aunt who believes that murder is the best option is safely relocated to Spain to avoid arrest and Carla gets married to a lovely gentleman after a few dinners and some architecture advise. 

This is an easy read and is difficult to put down at times. 
What have I learnt from it? Time can heal wounds and persistence can pay off. 

Lynne Wilding, born and bred in Sydney, Australia is the author of several novels and the inaugural president of Romance Writers of Australia inc. 

   
Photo courtesy of The Book Depository.