In sixteenth century Japan, an elite breed of soldier known as the Samurai represented the law of the land. Whatever the Emperor commanded, the Samurai carried fortheven when those commands seemed above the call of duty. Yoshima Gorisaki, called Gori, had never had anything to do with these Samuraiuntil word gets out of Goris betrayal of Emperor Tenchu. The Samurai are sent to dispatch Gori, his wife, and all his children. They succeed in half their mission, but Gori is not what he appears...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this stunning historical novel, the celebrated author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan presents “a heartwarming love story of heroic love between a mother and daughter” (Bookreporter) during revolutionary-era China.“Astonishing . . . one of those hard-to-put-down-until-four-in-the morning books . . . a story with characters who enter a reader’s life, take up residence, and illuminate the myriad d...

730. That's how many days I've been trapped.18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out.DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible....JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance...

“Heartbreakingly inspirational.” (AsianWeek)Ma Yan's heart-wrenching, honest diary chronicles her struggle to escape hardship through her persistent, sometimes desperate, attempts to continue her schooling.In a drought-stricken corner of rural China, an education can be the difference between a life of crushing poverty and the chance for a better future. But for Ma Yan, money is scarce, and the low wages paid for backbreaking work aren't always enough to pay school fees, or...

Fu Zhongwen's classic guide offers the best documentation available of the Yang style of taijiquan. The superbly detailed form instructions and historic line art drawings are based on Fu’s many years as a disciple of Yang Chengfu, taijiquan’s legendary founder. Also included are concise descriptions of fixed-step, moving-step, and da lu push hands practices. Additional commentary by translator Louis Swaim provides key insight into the text’s philosophical language and imagery, further eluc...

Unmatched in scope and literary quality, this landmark anthology spans three thousand years, bringing together more than six hundred poems by more than one hundred thirty poets, in translations–many new and exclusive to the book–by an array of distinguished translators.Here is the grand sweep of Chinese poetry, from the Book of Songs–ancient folk songs said to have been collected by Confucius himself–and Laozi’s Dao De Jingto the vividly pictorial ...

“If you want to lift yourself to a higher state of consciousness so that the political issues, the family issues, and social issues of the day do not throw you out of balance, so that you can find a happier, more contented life while you’re living here,” says author Harold Klemp, “sing HU, the most beautiful prayer.”This simple prayer, singing HU, will change you. It will open your eyes to see clearly the miracles happening around you every day. You’ll find in this beaut...

This is one of the most diverse yet accessible collections of Chinese strategies yet assembled. Brief in form, yet endless in wisdom, these fundamental rules of military engagement are easily adapted to the modern office, sports team, or everyday task.Taken from sources ranging from Lao Zi to Miyamoto Musashi, Stefan H. Verstappen has assembled a fascinating and impressive selection of historical and anecdotal evidence in support of this classic doctrine of strategy and one of the ...

Where does a firstborn girl fit in a world dominated by men?When Tiadone was born, her parents had two choices: raise their daughter as male and force her to suppress all feminine traits, or leave her outside the community to die in the wilds. Now, as the first female living as male in her village, Tiadone must prove her father didn’t make a mistake by letting her live. As her time of male initiation approaches, Tiadone desperately wishes to belong, and be accepted...

As the Japanese military invades 1930s Manchuria, a young girl approaches her own sexual coming of age. Drawn into a complex triangle with two boys, she distracts herself from the onslaught of adulthood by playing the game of go with strangers in a public square--and yet the force of desire, like the occupation, proves inevitable. Unbeknownst to the girl who plays go, her most worthy and frequent opponent is a Japanese soldier in disguise. Captivated by her beauty as much as by her bold, u...

A traveling troubadour discovers the secrets of eternal peace on a journey into war-torn Bosnia in this inspiring and spiritual memoir.In 1995, James F. Twyman was ready to risk his life to sing a peace concert in Bosnia. But once inside the country devastated by violence, he discovered an extraordinary secret waiting to be revealed. In a secluded mountainous retreat, he met a mystical community known as the Emissaries of Light. Their message to him changed his lif...

Orange Prize–winner Karen Connelly’s compelling memoir about her journey to Burma, where she fell in love with a leader of the Burmese rebel army.When Karen Connelly goes to Burma in 1996 to gather information for a series of articles, she discovers a place of unexpected beauty and generosity. She also encounters a country ruled by a brutal military dictatorship that imposes a code of censorship and terror. Carefully seeking out the regime’s critics, she witnesses ...