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Published Sep 2007
432 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
Japan, 1939. On the Street of a Thousand Blossoms in Tokyo, two orphaned brothers are growing up with loving grandparents who inspire them to dream of a future firmly rooted in tradition. The older boy, Hiroshi, shows early signs of promise in sumo wrestling, while Kenji is fascinated by the art of creating exquisite masks for actors in the Noh theater. But as the ripples of war spread all the way to their quiet neighborhood, the brothers must put their dreams on hold—and then forge their own paths in a new Japan. In a powerfully moving story that spans almost thirty years, Gail Tsukiyama brings her acclaimed depth of character and emotion to her biggest canvas yet—an epic novel of tradition and change, of loss and renewal, and above all of the enduring strength of family ties—at a turning point in modern history.
"The lingering effects of war...combined with a nation's search for pride and hope after surrender comprise the novel's oversized heart." - PW
"Tsukiyama proves to be adept at capturing sensory detail, whether she's creating the world of sumo or of Noh mask making. " - Library Journal.
""Gail Tsukiyama is a writer of astonishing grace, delicacy, and feeling. Her lyric precision serves not only to leave the reader breathless but to illuminate human suffering and redemption with clarity and power." - Michael Chabon.
""A master storyteller . . . Gail Tsukiyama expertly and beautifully weaves together the lives of a sumo wrestler and his family, and a Noh mask-maker through World War II and into the 1960s." - Jane Hamilton.
This information about The Street of a Thousand Blossoms was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Kevin Horan
Born to a Chinese mother and a Japanese father in San Francisco, Gail Tsukiyama now lives in El Cerrito, California. She is the bestselling author of seven novels, including The Street of a Thousand Blossoms, Women of the Silk, The Samurai's Garden and A Hundred Flowers, as well as the recipient of the Academy of American Poets Award and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. She lives in El Cerrito, California.
Name Pronunciation
Gail Tsukiyama: Tsu-kee-yah-mah
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