Status
Available
Publication
St. Martin's Griffin (1995), 211 pages
Description
The daughter of a Chinese mother and a Japanese father, Gail Tsukiyama uses the Japanese invasion of China during the late 1930s as a somber backdrop for her unusual story about a twenty-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen who is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secret and gains not only physical strength but also profound spiritual insight. Matsu is a samurai of the soul, a man devoted to doing good and finding beauty in a cruel and arbitrary world, and Stephen is a noble student, learning to appreciate Matsu's generous and nurturing way of life and to love Matsu's soulmate, gentle Sachi, a woman afflicted with leprosy.… (more)
Media reviews
Tsukiyama's writing is crystalline and delicate, notably in her evocation of time and place. This quiet tale of affection between people whose countries are at war speaks of a humanity that transcends geopolitics.
User reviews
LibraryThing member webreader
In this wonderful, evocative story, Stephen goes to Tamuri to recuperate from a serious illness at his grandfather's beach house. He has left his mother and sister at home in Hong Kong; left his college in Canton, along with his best friend; and his father remains in Kobe, where he lives and
Stephen arrives an immature college student yearning for company. He longs for company and conversation and is disconcerted by the isolation and the retic ence of the cottage caretaker, Matsuko. Eventually, they become friends who share a long-time secret that brings another important friend into Stephen's life. And Stephen also finds romance on the beach.
But the Japanese invasion of China affects this idyllic recovery period and brings Stephen maturity and insight as more is revealed to him than he ever expected to find in a sleepy vacation place on the shore.
Show More
conducts his business--and other matters that impact the family. Stephen arrives an immature college student yearning for company. He longs for company and conversation and is disconcerted by the isolation and the retic ence of the cottage caretaker, Matsuko. Eventually, they become friends who share a long-time secret that brings another important friend into Stephen's life. And Stephen also finds romance on the beach.
But the Japanese invasion of China affects this idyllic recovery period and brings Stephen maturity and insight as more is revealed to him than he ever expected to find in a sleepy vacation place on the shore.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Beth350
An interesting novel that takes a Chinese national into pre-WWII Japan to stay in family property while recovering from a bout of tuberculosis. During the time he is there, the Japanese began their takeover of much of China, including Nanking and Canton. Although their countries are at war, Stephen
It is a story filled with personal growth, love and acceptance.
Show More
(Chinese with a wetern name) becomes good friends with Matso the caretaker of the property and with Sashi, a woman with leporasy who lives a life of exile in a leper colony village.It is a story filled with personal growth, love and acceptance.
Show Less
LibraryThing member 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
Show More
broadcasts and letters from home. The characters are amazingly fleshed out, I felt like I really knew them by the end of the book. It ended the only way I believe it could have ended. This is a coming of age story, a love story and a story about the true meaning of beauty as well as a historical novel. This is an amazing novel, one which I highly recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member 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
Show More
Japanese villagers, including his wealthy family's home caretaker, and slowly becomes a part of their lives (and vice versa). People who should be enemies because of the war become close friends. He learns about the outbreak of leprosy in the area, various forms of gardening and how illusive the creative spark can be (he is a painter). This is really quite a beautiful novel and the reader floats along as if by the sea where it is situated. However, it does get slow in spots, especially near the end, as the stories of the villagers unfold. But the characters, the time and the beauty of the area, the flowers, food and education, quickly won me over and kept me until the end. Highly recommended, but not for those looking for action and adventure. Show Less
LibraryThing member miss_read
Seventeen-year-old Stephen leaves his home in Hong Kong just as the Japanese are poised to invade China before World War II. He is sent to his family's summer home in Japan in order to recuperate from tuberculosis. He meets Matsu, the house's caretaker and his friend Sachi. Stephen's friendships
Show More
with Matsu and Sachi give him wisdom as he learns about love, honor, and loss. I was particularly interested in Sachi's story, which was deeply moving. Sachi lives in a mountain village leper colony - this was fascinating after recently reading The Island, which dealt with a similar subject. Although the story's main character is Stephen, I felt more interest in Sachi and her life. The love triangle between Matsu, Sachi and Kenzo is an extremely complicated one, and is handled beautifully. This definitely made me want to read more of Tsukiyama's works. Show Less
LibraryThing member nicole_a_davis
A really subtle and sweet story in which the settings became characters themselves. I liked the ideas about our conflicting attachments to different places and the sadness we feel about leaving and moving from a place that has been an important factor in our lives.
LibraryThing member neelloc
On the surface, this is a beatiful love story. Deeper, the relationship of Japanese and Chinese character's in the book during the Japanese invasion of China - examine's a human and individual side of conflict. The author is half Japanese and Chinese - is this her examination of her history?
LibraryThing member strandbooks
This novel started a little slow for me as I found the narration awkward. Once I got used to it I really got involved in the story.
The story revolves around a Chinese boy visiting his father's beach house in Japan during the Japanese invasion of China. He meets other characters who teach him the
I found the history and differences between the chinese and japanese cultures very interesting.
The story revolves around a Chinese boy visiting his father's beach house in Japan during the Japanese invasion of China. He meets other characters who teach him the
Show More
true way to live his life with honor and that an outsider can always find a place to fit in. I found the history and differences between the chinese and japanese cultures very interesting.
Show Less
LibraryThing member klaidlaw
Love, hate, fear, loathing, loss and much more are woven through this delightful novel. Gail Tsukiyama has captured so many feelings in her story of a young Chinese student recovering at his grandfather's summer home in Japan in the years leading up to WWII during the Japanese invasion of China.
Show More
Coming from a mixed Japanese/Chinese family, she has been able to touch the feelings of both the Japanese majority in the story as well as the Chinese main character. I highly recommend this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member 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.
LibraryThing member woosang
A delightful story of a chinese teen, sent to japan on the eve of WW2 to recuperate after getting tuberculosis. He meets his father's servant who he gets to know and the locals, finding them friendly and welcoming even with the war. He finds the simple way of life, instead of being boring, fills
A wonderful piece of prose, this haunting story of the simple people and their tragic lives is a page turner.
Show More
his days and he is bereft when the war forces him to leave.A wonderful piece of prose, this haunting story of the simple people and their tragic lives is a page turner.
Show Less
LibraryThing member marytoelke
This was the first book I read by Gail Tsukiyama. It was recommended by bookstore staff so I thought I would give it a try. I have read everyone of her other books since and would highly recommend them all. It is a story of friendship between a young Chinese aristocrat and a gardener at his
Show More
family's summer home which takes place during the Japanese invasion of China. The young man learns much from this simple man and we are given a history lesson as to the invasion's effect on the Chinese population. A good read! Show Less
LibraryThing member lepapillonvert
Fiction, A good story with well written characters. Their lives, beliefs, ethics and friendships are on the surface what seems to be simple. As the reader shares their worlds these characters prove to be courageous, caring people.
LibraryThing member BCCJillster
Absolutely loved this book, its simplicity, the characters, the message of the garden.
LibraryThing member 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.
LibraryThing member BullPoint
Chinese man during outbreak of WWII in Japan
LibraryThing member lwa
A little slow to start, but what a rewarding read. Rich full characters and wonderful sense of a time and culture.
LibraryThing member bblum
Slow moving like a Japanese garden about a young Chinese man who moves to his grandfather's beach house in Japan to find the cure for taburculois. Leprosy and the Japanese war in China serve as the antagonists.
LibraryThing member TPLThing
This is a story set in the late 1930’s, in a small coastal village in Japan with the backdrop of Japan at war with China. Stephen, a Chinese student recuperating in Tamuri, identifies with the complex love story involving 3 friends. One can feel the physical & spiritual growth of Stephen as his
Show More
life gets entwined with the other characters. Gail Tsukiyama’s characters are always deep and she makes the reader feel, that they have the qualities of the samurais –loyalty, self discipline and respectful behavior and a strong code of ethics. I loved the description of the gardens with the plain almost ugly rocks symbolizing the life of the female character, a leper. As this short story about longing & isolation progresses, you get involved with it. Show Less
LibraryThing member papsheen
This is just a beautifully written book--as you read it you think it might just be a story about a young boy at war time, but it is so much more!!!
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
I wasn't sure I even wanted to read this book because one of my book clubs had read "Women of the Silk" and had decidedly mixed reviews (leaning toward the negative). But I really enjoyed this work.
A young Chinese boy from Hong Kong is sent to his family's beach house in Japan to recover from
Tsukiyama is a poetic writer. This is a good book for discussion groups. Much to think (and talk) about
A young Chinese boy from Hong Kong is sent to his family's beach house in Japan to recover from
Show More
tuberculosis just before WW II breaks out. He meets the gardener, and the gardener's friends (who are lepers). He "falls in love" with a young woman, but the "racial prejudice" of her family thwart their feelings.Tsukiyama is a poetic writer. This is a good book for discussion groups. Much to think (and talk) about
Show Less
LibraryThing member dylkit
This book contains no Samurai. There is, however, leprosy. And adultery.
LibraryThing member erinclark
A beautiful, beautiful book. I loved it. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member banjo123
The setting and themes of the book are interesting. I felt that the writing was somewhat pedestrian, but I looked at online reviews and see that others had the opposite opinion, so it seems that tastes can really vary.
The book is very evocative of time and place. The plot is spare, and the book
The book is very evocative of time and place. The plot is spare, and the book
Show More
centers on three main characters in a quiet setting near the sea. Stephen, is sent by his parents to a family home in a small village in Japan to recover from TB. This happens at the beginning of WWII, so Stephen is concerned about the Japanese invasion of China, and there is a tension between worry about war, and the calm of his life in the village. Stephen develops a close relationship with Matsu, the home's caregiver and gardener, and the Sachi, a friend of Matsu's who has lived in a nearby leprosy community, since developing the disease as a young woman. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelbycassie
I finished it because it was not so bad that I would stop part way through. However, I really did not care too much about the people in it. I am going to do a little more research to see what happened to Chinese living in Japan in the late 30's when Japan was running over China and taking
Show More
territory. At least I will get a history lesson. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1994
Physical description
211 p.; 8.5 inches
ISBN
0312144075 / 9780312144074
Local notes
fiction