On the eve of the Second World War, a young Chinese painter, named Stephen, is sent to his family's summer home in Japan to recover from tuberculosis. He will rest, swim in the salubrious sea, and paint in the brilliant and shore light – it will be quiet and solitary. He is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener, and the “samurai” of the title – a man devoted to finding beauty in a cruel and arbitrary world. Stephen is a noble student. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secrets and gains not only physical strength, but also profound spiritual insight learning to appreciate Matsu's generous and nurturing way of life and to love Matsu's soulmate, Sachi, a woman afflicted with leprosy. But it is the four local residents he meets - a lovely young Japanese girl and three older people. What then ensues is a tale that readers will find at once classical yet utterly unique. Stephen has his own adventures, but it is the unfolding story of Matsu, Sachi, and Kenzo that seizes your attention and will stay with you a long time.
On the eve of the Second World War, a young Chinese painter, named Stephen, is sent to his family's summer home in Japan to recover from tuberculosis. He will rest, swim in the salubrious sea, and paint in the brilliant and shore light – it will be quiet and solitary. He is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener, and the “samurai” of the title – a man devoted to finding beauty in a cruel and arbitrary world. Stephen is a noble student. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secrets and gains not only physical strength, but also profound spiritual insight learning to appreciate Matsu's generous and nurturing way of life and to love Matsu's soulmate, Sachi, a woman afflicted with leprosy. But it is the four local residents he meets - a lovely young Japanese girl and three older people. What then ensues is a tale that readers will find at once classical yet utterly unique. Stephen has his own adventures, but it is the unfolding story of Matsu, Sachi, and Kenzo that seizes your attention and will stay with you a long time. 
Wow! This is a beautifully constructed site. I love the layout, colors and your prolific output in one short month. Watch out, it's hard to keep up. Pace yourself and it'll be more fun. The blog archive, bottom left, serves the function of a search. What more do you need? shb
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