Asano no Katana (Sword of Asano): An Historical Novel Spanning 500 Years by Gene Brown

A partly historical, partly biographical, partly fictional novel following a nearly 600-year-old katana as it passes through generations of the Suzuki family and eventually into the hands of Lord Asano Takumi-no Kami, whose forced ritual suicide in the Shogun's castle in Edo set the stage for the celebrated story of the Forty-Seven Ronin (Chushingura). The narrative is presented from the sword's perspective, related through its empathic connection with an eight-year-old boy. Using documented historical events as its armature, the novel aims to capture the texture of feudal Japan across multiple eras. Includes an extensive bibliography of Japan-related titles.

• Title: Asano no Katana (Sword of Asano)
• Subtitle: An Historical Novel Spanning Five Hundred Years of Lord Suzuki's Family Ties to Asano Takumi-no Kami's Clan
• Author: Gene Brown
• Publisher: Gene Brown (self-published), Seattle, WA
• Publication Date: December 30, 2014
• Edition:
• Printing:
• Format: Softcover
• Pages:
• Illustrations:
• ISBN-13: 978-0692309650
• Language: English
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• Series:
• Condition: Very Good
• Notes: Self-published. Author is a Japan veteran, Navy musician, and longtime Japanophile who lived in Japan and married a Japanese woman. Includes an extensive bibliography of Japan-related titles.
• Description: A partly historical, partly biographical, partly fictional novel following a nearly 600-year-old katana as it passes through generations of the Suzuki family and eventually into the hands of Lord Asano Takumi-no Kami, whose forced ritual suicide in the Shogun's castle in Edo set the stage for the celebrated story of the Forty-Seven Ronin (Chushingura). The narrative is presented from the sword's perspective, related through its empathic connection with an eight-year-old boy. Using documented historical events as its armature, the novel aims to capture the texture of feudal Japan across multiple eras. Includes an extensive bibliography of Japan-related titles.