Eight Million Gods and Demons - Softcover

A haunting portrait of a fascinating age-Japan between the Meiji Era and the end of World War II

In Meiji-era Japan, where the standard of beauty is the graceful geisha and the greatest joy a woman can hope for is to produce healthy heirs for her husband, an idealistic Japanese politician named Taku takes Emi as his child bride. Emi, a gifted koto player, cherishes Taku's doting love. But the couple can't conceive, and Taku's work takes him away more and more often.

When she finally gives birth to a healthy son, Emi dares hope that the preternaturally intelligent Jun will help mend the rift in her marriage. That is, until she meets Hana, an extraordinarily beautiful and wicked geisha, and discovers a betrayal so devastating it would take the aid of eight million gods and demons-the number of deities in the Japanese pantheon-to overcome.

Hiroko Sherwin was born in Nagoya, Japan, and was evacuated to the countryside when the city was bombed during the Second World War. She later moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where her three daughters were born. She served as a special correspondent for the Japanese newspaper Yomuiri USA and wrote four books in Japanese about American women and society. This is her first novel.