The Samurai’s Garden, written by Gail Tsukiyama, is a novel based on historical fiction during the Sino-Japanese war or also known as pre-WWII. 

The story starts off in the city of Hong Kong, China. Stephen, a young boy of only 20 years had developed tuberculosis. A contagious lung disease that not only pains him when he coughs, sneezes, and laughs, but it also takes away his ability to see his beloved family and friends. 

Unable to recover in the sweltering humidity and stuffy air of his hometown, and in addition to the Japanese army inching their way towards them, he is forced to recuperate alone in Tarumi, a small seaside village located in the rivaling country of Japan. 

However, during his stay, he ends up creating friendships with people he never expected to get along with. There, he meets Matsu, the housekeeper of the home he stays at; Sachi, a woman outcasted in a mountainous village due to contracting leprosy; Kenzo, an owner of a teahouse; and Keiko, a girl he can never love. 

Although Stephen carries something that he can never change, such as his Chinese heritage, it doesn’t stop him from learning about Japanese culture. Given that, the hatred he once developed for the country changes into something else… 

Overall, I believe The Samurai’s Garden is a great book to read, and would especially recommend it for those who are interested in learning the beauty of Japanese culture. And along with that, another great thing I would like to add is that this book contains a lot of soothing, and motivational conversations, which I find very inspirational. Thanks to Tsukiyama’s amazing word choices, the reading experience I’ve had with this novel was very intriguing. 

The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.