The story of two women whose lives intersect in late-nineteenth - century Japan, The Teahouse Fire is also a portrait of one of the most fascinating places and times in all of history-Japan as it opens its doors to the West. It was a period when wearing a different color kimono could make a political statement, when women stopped blackening their teeth to profess an allegiance to Western ideas, and when Japan's most mysterious rite--the tea ceremony-became not just a sacramental meal, but a ritual battlefield.
We see it all through the eyes of Aurelia, an American orphan adopted by the Shin family, proprietors of a tea ceremony school, after their daughter, Yukako, finds her hiding on their grounds. Aurelia becomes Yukako's closest companion, and they, the Shin family, and all of Japan face a time of great challenges and uncertainty. Told in an enchanting and unforgettable voice, The Teahouse Fire is a lively, provocative, and lushly detailed novel of epic scope and compulsive readability.
"Like attending seasons of elegant tea parties each one resplendent with character and drama. Delicious."
--Maxine Hong Kingston--
"Provides true pleasure to the intellect and all the senses."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review--
"In The Teahouse Fire, aesthetic rules vie with politics, sex, and human feeling. Avery has whipped up a heady brew."
--Liza Dalby, author of The Tale of Murasaki--