Kinshu: Autumn Brocade

As delicate as the shimmering wings of a dragonfly, "Kinshu"--an epistolary novel by one of Japan's most popular literary authors--is a masterpiece of simplicity and beauty. Life, death, karma--these interwoven themes form the heart of this lyrical novel in letters, "Kinshu: Autumn Brocade," the first work to be published in the U.S. by Teru Miyamoto, one of Japan's most popular literary writers. The word kinshu has many connotations in Japanese--brocade, poetic writing, the brilliance of autumn leaves--and resonates here as a vibrant metaphor for the complex, intimate relationship between Aki and Yasuaki. Ten years after a dramatic divorce, they meet by chance at a mountain resort. Aki initiates a new correspondence, and letter by letter through the seasons, the secrets of the past unfold as they reflect on their present struggles. From a lover's suicide to a father's controlling demands, to Mozart's Thirty-Ninth Symphony ("a veritable marvel of sixteenth notes"), to the karmic consequences of their actions, the story glides through their deeply introspective and stirring exchanges. What begins as a series of accusations and apologies, questions and excuses, turns into a source of mutual support and healing. Chosen as an Outstanding Work of Japanese Literature by the Japanese Literature Publishing Project.