Flowers by Night

Japan, 1825: Low-ranking samurai Uchida Tomonosuke is a devotee of the way of manly love, but he has never pledged himself to another man. Until one day he accidentally crosses paths with Ichi, a beautiful blind masseur who challenges everything he thought he knew about love between men.

Ichi is independent and confident, but his blindness means he is considered a non-person in the rigid social hierarchy. Tomonosuke is torn between his passion for this elegant young man, and the expectations of his rank. Not to mention his obligation to his unhappy wife, Okyo. But when betrayal and natural disasters strike, it is Ichi who holds the key to saving Tomonosuke's life.

Join Tomonosuke and Ichi for an epic journey through high and low Edo society, from elegant literary salons to bawdy street performance, through brothels, teahouses and mansions, from the bustling city to the snowy north. This elegant, deeply researched historical novel overturns stereotypes about samurai, geisha, and disability, and provides a vivid, compelling glimpse into a world beyond the gay-straight binary.

Recommended for readers searching for queer or gay historical fiction that is diverse, inclusive and unashamed, for stories of families of choice, and for positive, realistic depictions of people with disabilities. Sure to delight Japanophiles and fans of Japanese culture and Japanese literature everywhere.