A New York merchant risks all. A samurai's daughter seeks truth. Pitfalls lie ahead in mid-nineteenth-century Japan.
"The Year of the Barbarian delivers a perfect blend of adventure, political intrigue, and an epic clash of culture!" –Elizabeth Camden, recipient of the RITA, Christy, and Carol awards.
Sumi Taguchi, a samurai's daughter, eagerly anticipates the arrival of foreigners from the West, who will end Japan's centuries-long isolation from the world. Maybe these foreigners will bring answers to life's troublesome riddles. But to be free to meet these newcomers, she must first avoid a nightmarish betrothal and the fallout from her rash curiosity.
The young New York merchant, John Cardiff, risks his inheritance by sailing to the far side of the world. His fascination with Japan leads to a tantalizing, but dangerous trading venture. As trouble mounts, he dreads the shipwreck of not only his sail ship but his life.