My Pick of the Week!

If you liked Memoirs of a Geisha you will enjoy Sword and Blossom: a British Officer's Enduring Love for a Japanese Woman by Peter Pagnamenta and Momoko Williams, a nonfiction book which reads like a novel. This is a story of Arthur Hart-Synnot, a British Army officer who is sent to Japan in the early 20th century on a posting. He meets a Japanese woman Masa Suzuki and they fall in love. They live together for a short while and then the officer is posted to Hong Kong. Arthur's military career takes him to many locals including Burma and India and they correspond via letters to each other. Masa's family will not permit her marry Arthur as she would then have to leave Japan. Arthur tries many times to get posted back to Japan but fate seems to always prevent this from happening.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the opportunity to learn about British and Japan history spanning from 1904 to the end of World War II through the lives of these two lovers. Their living history and struggles to keep their love alive was very moving. This book reinforced the role of war and its toll on family life.