Books like The last concubine by Lesley Downer
In the tumultuous year 1865, the Iemitsu Palace in Edo cradles three thousand women, only one man: the young shogun. Among them, 15‑year‑old Sachi is selected as his concubine, thrust into a world of intrigue and forbidden desire. As the Black Ships arrive and Western powers press Japan toward colonial domination, a civil war erupts. Sachi must flee for her life and, along the way, confront an unknown past that could unravel the fragile fabric of her society. The novel traces the sweeping transformation of nineteenth‑century Japan from feudal isolation to modernity, portraying the lives of the shogun, a princess, and countless women whose stories shaped the nation's history.
First publish date: 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction/19th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Lesley Downer
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