RaveThe Portland OregonianThe fact that the novel is called Jacob's Thousand Autumns and not his Education hints at the romance-tinged world-weariness in store. The plot turns on the human contacts that bridge the exploitation and deception of the commercial world and break down the rigid, formal boundaries between the Japanese and the Dutch … Jacob is too eager in everything, of course, and his indiscretions spark decisions that determine the fates of the characters, fates they find a way of choosing or at least explaining as their own. And we are treated to a series of adventures more typical of Mitchell's earlier novels, including an earthquake, a palace intrigue, a ninja-inspired raiding party, a Great Escape from a high mountain sanctuary, and an intense naval bombardment that tests Jacob's mettle and loyalty … Jacob's story is focused and compelling from start to finish. It is a perfect example of what historical fiction can do.
