Book description
Japan. The last decade of the 17th century. Men who lived by the
sword find themselves cut adrift while women begin to confront new
threats and opportunities. The austere demands of the haikai poet are
no match for the growing popularity of urban performers, and the
medieval samurai ethos has been replaced by the culture of the
merchant and the shogun's bureaucrats. This colourful but remote world
is portrayed in these stories. Basho, Japan's greatest poet, features
in several of them. We also meet Ohasu, a young woman trapped in the
decadence of the pleasure quarters; Hasegawa, a rogue samurai who
seeks solace in wine, in the rigours of Zen Buddhism, and in his
willingness to defend an outmoded code. A mysterious woman buried in
an imperial nunnery struggles with an unbearable remorse; a senior
shogunate official seeks to preserve Basho's poetic legacy; a teenage
sociopath tries to carve out his own career with a gratuitous and
murderous assault; and a bizarrely preternatural pariah executioner
accepts his destiny. Sometimes surprising, sometimes horrifying, The
Plum Rains & Other Stories brings to life a uniquely beautiful and
violent world. Angry and confused, they went looking for answers. They
found none. There were no books to help them with the emotional
upheaval they were going through. There were no explanations from the
hospital as to why they had lost their baby and the counselling on
offer was largely ineffective. What followed was an awkward few months
where they could not grieve together and their relationship was
severely strained. It was not just their relationship with each other
that was affected. Family and friends who did not know how to deal
with the situation also became isolated from them. Realising that
communication was the key to getting through this sorrowful time, they
finally started talking and found a way to get their relationship back
on track. They also found that if they spoke honestly and openly to
family and friends, they could get those relationships back as well.
Knowing that other couples who have lost a baby would be going through
similar difficulties, they decided to write down their experience in
an effort to help them. Their beautifully written and poignant story,
dealing with an issue that is too rarely acknowledged and discussed
openly, is one of complete and heart-rending honesty.
