BLOSSOMS AND SHADOWS by Lian Hearn

I couldn't wait to finish this book. Some years ago I stumbled across the Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn and devoured the whole series of five books. When Blossoms and Shadows came out I bought it immediately and waited for the right time to 'treat' myself with another Lian Hearn delicacy. This book, however, fell well below my expectations. This is a well researched account of 19th century Japan during an exciting chapter of its history when the age of samurai is ending and the country is facing a revolution that would reform its' whole way of life and usher in the birth of modern Japan. The only interesting part of the book however, was an account of a fictional character, a young girl who grows up as an apprentice to her father who is a doctor, and who seeks to break the mould of women's place in Japan's society. Her story, however, gets lost in the inadequate explanation of the intricate political system of the country and overwhelming number of political characters who kept changing their names. This and the Japanese names for political terms without explanation of what they mean really did my head in. I could not keep up with the historical thread of the story and could never work out who was for the reformation and who was against it. This book bored me and made me feel stupid because I could not for the life of me fully understand the process of the revolution. I felt better though when I read some book reviews and discovered that other readers felt the same. I, however, highly recommend the Tales of the Otori series. They will enrich your reading experience a hundred fold.

THE LAST RUNAWAY by Tracy Chevalier

Tracy Chevalier is a literary genius. If you want to read a book rich with historical content and moral values, this is the book for you. The book explores a 19th century American movement called the Underground Railroad through which 30,000 Negros managed to escape slavery assisted by white abolitionists, freed slaves and many members of the Quaker community. The Last Runaway is set in 1850 and follows a sheltered Quaker girl immigrating from England to America with her sister who is to be married to an English man living in Ohio. Within days of landing in America, and before reaching Ohio, her sister Grace dies of yellow fever leaving Honor alone in a new country that she needs to make her home. Honor joins the Quaker community called Friends in Ohio and marries Jack, a dairy farmer. Her strong Quaker instincts lead Honor to become involved in the rife runaway movement assisting slaves to escape to Canada where freedom awaits them. Tracy Chevalier achieves the optimum balance of realism and sentiment in this heart warming and enlightening book which is extremely hard to put down. Read The Last Runaway, you will be glad you did.