Pagnamento, Peter, and Momoto Williams. Sword & Blossom. In 1982 retired school teacher Tesuko Suzuki discovered letters saved by her mother-in-law and dating back to 1904. Over 800 letters survived from her mother-in-law's correspondence with Arthur Hart-Synod, and these letters were the inspiration for the book that relates the love of affair of Arthur Hart-Synod and Masa Suzuki.
More than just a love story, these pages present insights into the world of Japan in 1904 during the early years of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance; commentary on the British military--its traditions and transformation; changing attitudes toward Japan; the Japanese war with Russia; the Manchurian campaign; British colonialism; WWI and its horrors; treatment of the wounded; the rise of Sinn Fein; the commandeering and destruction of Arthur's family home Ballymoyer House in the "Anglo-Irish War"; the design and fitting of artificial limbs; the effects of the 1918 flu pandemic that resulted in 25 million deaths worldwide and over 257,000 deaths in Japan; the destruction of Tokyo by the 1923 earthquake - 44% of Tokyo was leveled after the fires finally burned out and 90% of Yokohama was destroyed by the earthquake, fires, and tsunami; the Japanese war in China; the rise of Japan as a military state and the end of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance; Japan during WWII - propaganda and hardships; the fire bombing of Tokyo in which more than 100,000 were killed - more than died in either Hiroshima or Nagasaki in the atom-bomb raids; and the Japanese surrender.
A remarkable story, skillfully written and researched, Sword & Blossom provides a private view of two individuals from different cultures and the daily details of their lives, set in the broader perspective of the historic events of the first half of the 20th century.
The more I think about this book, the more impressed I am at the detail, personally and historically. Arthur and Masa's affair is not a Romance in novelistic terms, but a glimpse into the private lives of a military man and the woman he loved through his letters (Masa's letters were destroyed in WWII) -- ordinary people who lived through extraordinary events.
I found an interview with Momoto Williams here. Love of Reading.com is a recent discovery with some great features for book lovers and where you will find some familiar guest bloggers including Debra Hamel and Iliana from Bookgirl's Nightstand.
Nonfiction. Biographical/memoir/history. 2007. 310 pages.
Wow, this sounds like a really interesting book. Such a wide range of detail! I'll have to put it on my list, and I think my mom might like it too. Also thanks for the link to Love of Reading.com--I'd never been there before :)
ReplyDeleteWow. This sounds WONDERFUL! I will definitely have to add this to the list of must reads!
ReplyDeleteMay I add my "wow" in there too? This sounds like a great book. I'll definitely have to add it to my wishlist. I had never heard of it before.
ReplyDeleteOooooh, Jenclair, what a find, this sounds like something I will really enjoy...going to have to look for it pronto! It really does seem to cover everything about Japan from that early period of the 20th century, thank you so much for showcasing it. What a lovely cover too, I just LOVE the lotus in the background, I am really going to have to pick this up!
ReplyDeleteGentle Reader - I enjoyed this book and learned a great deal about the way events touched ordinary citizens.
ReplyDeleteStephanie - If you like this kind of thing, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang is an excellent look at China during the 20th c. Booklogged recommended this one to me last year, and it was one of my favorites last year in the nonfiction category.
L.F. - Anna Suknov of FSB Associates sent me this one; the paperback publication date was May 2007 so I think they are doing another publicity campaign.
Lotus - I love the way the image fronts the lotus, too. Flowers and gardening were very important to Arthur, so the lotus, in addition to being a symbol for Japan itself, relates to Arthur personally.
This looks like one my wife would love. And the cover image is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI've been hearing a lot about this one recently and it sounds like something I'd very much like to read. Thanks for your review, I'll definitely be ordering it soon.
ReplyDeleteI've got an advance on this one too and can't wait to read it! So glad you liked it. I am a fan of letter writing so that's what immediately attracted me to the book. I have all the letters my husband and I wrote to each other before we married and while I don't think I have 800 I bet I still have quite a lot. I should count them :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fascinating to read how an age of imperialism worked itself out in ordinary lives? This sounds like a wonderful book!
ReplyDeleteCarl - If she likes history, she will enjoy this one!
ReplyDeletetanabata - It really is a good read. Hope you enjoy it!
iliana - One thing that surprised me is that it wasn't just one letter after another. The authors present the personal and historical events as a narrative, quoting frequently from the letters. The letters are interesting, too, because Arthur writes in Japanese and the letters are generally very simply worded as he is less fluent in Japanese. He worries about communicating his feelings to Masa.
Good for you for preserving all of your letters! It is such a rare thing to write letters in today's world. Do count them!
Jill - Yes, British imperialism is evident in Africa, India, and Burma, places Arthur served. Not in Japan, however, which was an ally.
It sounds like a lovely book. I was a bit disappointed with Memoirs of a Geisha and I think this would fill the gap in material I was hoping that book would address.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it is beautiful cover art.
It sounds like a lovely book. I was a bit disappointed with Memoirs of a Geisha and I think this would fill the gap in material I was hoping that book would address.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it is beautiful cover art.
Just read this book. Was very interesting and moving depiction of an unconventional romance until Arthur effectively abandoned Masa and their son after countless promises of eternal love and fidelity. He was also very selfish, never really empathizing with her as a single raising two children without a husband and certainty of her future. What soured my initial enjoyment of this story was Arthur's complete ambivalence for his sons, and disinterest he had towards Kiyoshi's difficulties growing up mix-raced and illegitimate in Japan. Also, that he kept his sons a secret from his friends and family. My opinion is that people have secrets when they are afraid or ashamed. When he abandoned his family he acted as if he had no choice when he could have waited longer to walk better in his legs, or sent for Masa, or even had a helper travel with him to Japan. Makes me wonder just how real and enduring was his love for Masa. Was it love or infatuation fueled by his romantic and idealistic mind.
ReplyDelete