A lively historical romance is conjured for us in the
lush setting of Osaka, Japan, in 1590. Samurai Nishioji Tomi
strides around wearing silk and carrying swords. THE
SAMURAI’S SOUL concerns his unusual Christian faith,
which was not officially approved since an edict ordering
Portuguese missionaries out of the country.
Aki, the
youngest daughter of her family, works hard as a dutiful
girl should. She keeps the accounts for her father, an Osaka
cloth merchant. The authorities consider every merchant to
be a suspect where tax evasion, smuggling and short measures
are concerned. Aki keeps them on the correct side of
the law. Nevertheless, a police raid led by two samurai,
Nishioji and Matsubara, sees her father arrested ‘in
case’ while his accounts are being studied.
Aki
wants nothing to do with the Osaka Police but has to bring
the accounts to a Constable, the magistrate in the district.
The samurai, Nishioji, notices her diligence and offers her
temporary work caring for his ill mother. This is actually a
relief for the girl. Her uncle Riku is keen to marry her off
to a trader in order to have wider family links. They
can’t offend a higher caste any more than she can
refuse to marry.
The novel explores crime and taxes,
smuggling and stolen art, in this rich setting. We also get
to see how the Christian faith was practised despite
official disapproval. The layers of society are tokened by
style of dress, by having one or two names, and by the work
a person carried out daily. Everyone was expected to know
how much respect to demonstrate. If readers would like to
explore sixteenth century Japanese culture, they can start
with THE SAMURAI’S SOUL or with the earlier book by
Walt Mussell, The Samurai’s Heart. His exotic series
is titled The Heart of the Samurai, depicting a nation
embroiled in changes that were greatly resisted by the rigid
societal structure.
I find the story should
appeal to readers used to historical fiction, but most of
the time, Aki and Nishioji are doing different work, as
would no doubt have been the case, and this makes the
romance element a little harder to believe. My sympathies
are entirely with Aki, of course.
Osaka 1590. Aki, the youngest daughter of an Osaka cloth merchant, knows her father will marry her off one day. She isn't prepared for her callous and greedy uncle to announce plans to adopt her to arrange a marriage advantageous to him.
Samurai Nishioji Tomi works for the Osaka Police as a cover for finding a clandestine anti-Christian conspiracy group. His biggest challenges, though, are hiding his Christian faith, which is under suspicion, and his mother’s illness, which could get her banished.
When Tomi arrests Aki’s father for tax evasion, the samurai finds himself impressed by Aki’s devotion in proving her father’s innocence. He extends her a temporary position as his mother’s caregiver, and Aki accepts to forestall her uncle’s plans. But when efforts to find silk smugglers implicate Aki’s family and an old enemy arises to seek Tomi’s death, will the family secrets each holds be the weapons that destroy them?
No excerpt available.
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