Autumn Bridge
by Takashi Matsuoka
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Book Summary Information
Author: Takashi MatsuokaEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-07-26
ISBN: 0385339119
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Delta
Book Reviews of Autumn Bridge
Book Review: A Passionate Story of Japan
Summary: 5 Stars
Regardless of all the chaos she experienced in Autumn Bridge's predecessor, Cloud of Sparrows, American missionary Emily Gibson has remained in Japan for another six years. It is now the year 1867. During the six year interval, Emily has been working on translating the Cloud of Sparrows scrolls, which contain the history of the Okumichi clan as written by the male ancestors of this bloodline.
However, the discovery of a set of very old scrolls written in an informal manner and so obviously voiced by a woman sets Emily's mind awhirl; the scrolls address Emily directly, or seem to do so. But Emily's devout loyalty to Christianity forbid her from believing anyone other than Jesus could have prophesied the future; thus, she denies what is right before her eyes.
Yet it is these Aki-no-hashi (Autumn Bridge) scrolls that guide us back into the past, to the very beginnings of the Okumichi clan's rise and its association with Cloud of Sparrows Castle. Here, Lady Shizuka--a long-dead ancestress of the Okumichi clan--portrays with haunting beauty the arc of her life, from her preternatural conception to her betrayal and murder, an atrocity committed by her own father. It is from Shizuka's blood that the Okumichi inherited their ability for prophetic visions, or insanity at this particular talent's worst.
Lord Genji Okumichi, a man farsighted even without his prophetic ability, has seen that Japan must change, must modernize or be lost to its own people. The long isolation Japan put upon itself has only served to place it behind much of the world's military advancement, a most frightening predicament as the way of the samurai and feudalism have long dominated Japan. Yet swords can't stop bullets, or cannons.
Unrest grows as foreigners pour through Japan, changing so swiftly what has been for many centuries. Anti-foreigner sentiment, thus, endangers Emily and anyone who befriends her. Hanako, Emily's best friend, eventually becomes the victim of this sentiment, dying a death comprised of valor in Emily's defense.
It is Lord Genji's utmost hope that Emily will leave Japan, as two American men vie for her hand in marriage. Without Hanako, it seems inevitable Emily will choose a husband and depart for America. If Emily does not leave Japan, one of Genji's prophetic visions will unravel with finality: Emily will soon die.
But Emily will not leave. She has convinced herself she must stay to save Lord Genji's pagan soul. Yet this excuse is shallow at best. Truth be told, Emily loves Genji with her entire being. One sign of reciprocal affection from him is all Emily needs to make the decision to stay in Japan.
As with Cloud of Sparrows, Autumn Bridge kept me bleary-eyed and teary-eyed, especially Lady Shizuka's part of the story; this part was told with a delicate grace, much befitting this lady's character. As a whole, Autumn Bridge is told with a haunting beauty, which will keep it on my favorites list for many years to come, or perhaps for my forever.
Autumn Bridge is, however, more than the story of the Okumichi clan, or the love story between Genji and Emily; it is also an adept and passionate story of Japan and its many peoples, of all the changes these people endured during the 19th century.
A stirring triumph that bridges all barriers.
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