Vintage Japanese crime fiction, by a master of the genre, first published in 1950: the head of a clan leaves a very peculiar will, and its reading is followed by a series of unusual murders.
A Korean novel, beautifully translated, in which an unexpected pregnancy forces two sisters to confront the legacy of their own mother's neglect. Delicate, sad, a little dreamy.
A memoir of youth in Henan province and the liberating power of the pen, by a prolific Chinese writer still relatively little known in this country, despite a festoon of international prizes... read more
Three stories of family life - especially mothers and sons - from early in Tanizaki's career - 'Longing', 'Sorrows of a Heretic' and 'The Story of an Unhappy Mother'. (It would be interestin... read more
In 1600 Adams was the first English man to step on Japanese shores - one of only nine survivors of a Dutch trading expedition. He became the shogun's advisor and ship builder, and a samurai.... read more
A remarkable work of research and skill, which brings to life Tsunemo, a country priest's daughter who defied conventions when her world was radically changing.