Semishigure

When his father is accused of rebellion and forced to commit seppuku, it falls to Maki Bunshirō to protect his family’s house from future retribution. Training as a samurai, Bunshirō must hone his skills with the sword and make powerful allies among the elders of the domain if he hopes to survive. As he is navigating clan politics, the object of his youthful affection, Fuku, becomes the mistress of the lord of the domain. When Fuku and her child become the key to the future of the domain, Bunshirō is forced to choose between what his lord commands and his childhood love.

Semishigure, literally meaning “cicada showers,” refers to the ever-present noise of insects chirping in Japanese summers, a nostalgic reminder of the passing seasons. This much-loved, sentimental samurai novel by Shuhei Fujisawa, the undisputed master of the genre, is finally available in English, and Thomas Harper’s deft translation brings all of the power, longing, and joy of the original that has captivated generations of Japanese readers.