Japan, 1703. Forty-seven masterless samurai kill Kira Yoshinaka in revenge for the death of their lord, Asano Naganori. The act appears to fulfil the demands of loyalty, yet the warriors waited almost two years before striking and now face an order to commit ritual suicide.
Sano is given only days to determine what happened between Asano’s forced death and the attack on Kira’s residence. His inquiry follows Ōishi Yoshio, the ronin and the woman whose position gives the novel its title, uncovering political interests behind the celebrated account. The result reframes the Akō Incident as both an act of devotion and a contested crime.
Evelyn James
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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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David Field
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Rhys Bowen
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