In 1903, fifteen-year-old Ichi Aoi is sold to the most exclusive brothel in Kumamoto, Japan. Despite her modest beginnings, she becomes the protege of an oiran, the highest-ranking courtesan at the brothel, and begins to understand the intertwined power of sex and money. And in her mandatory school lessons, her writing instructor encourages Ichi and the others to think clearly and express themselves.
Unflinching and humane ... The depictions of life in the brothel are simple, merciless and deeply affecting ... Ichi and her peers find hope in organized resistance, with their collective humanity in the face of brutality forming Murata’s irrefutable and beautiful argument.
Murata crafts a powerful story with universal themes, and her deep knowledge of history and culture illuminates the impossible situation women were forced to navigate ... Carpenter’s translation is considerate of the essence of its urtext, but the precise use of language is a key theme in the novel, and nuances are often lost in the translation.
