After how long, I have finally finished a book! The Last Concubine by Leslie Downer. It's a very informative book about Japanese culture in the 1800's, however, it was REALLY REALLY long, which at times made it difficult to get through, seeing as I was only able to read it randomly throughout my university semester (mostly 10 mins here and there). I wasn't really surprised to read about how women had no choice and were only thought as objects and weren't of value. That was similar to British culture of that time. What did surprise me was to what extremes they go to! I was also surprised by how the Japanese are bound by honour, and how they would rather kill themselves than become traitors, or retreat. Although it was too long, I still learned a lot, but I don't think I would recommend it to others unless they have a lot of time.
This book was about a girl who grew up in a village, but knew that she didn't belong there. She was then taken by the princess who was travelling through her village on her way to wed the shogun. As she grew up in the shogun's palace, she became very beautiful, and then became the shogun's concubine. War was started, and she had to flee, but along the way she fell in love with a samurai and meets her father and she decides she wants to find her true identity.
Anyway, onward to my next endeavor! Until then, Happy Reading!
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