The Teahouse Fire

The Teahouse Fire is a portrait of one of the most fascinating places and times in all of history -- Japan as it opens its doors to the West. We see it all through the eyes of Aurelia Bernard, an American orphan in 1866 Kyoto. Taking shelter in the beautiful and mysterious Baishan teahouse, Aurelia meets Shin Yukako, daughter of Kyoto's most important tea master and one of the first women to openly teach the sacred ceremony known as the Way of Tea. The Shin family adopts Aurelia, and assists and protects her as she navigates a culture that is not always accepting of outsiders. In return, Aurelia aids in Yukako's crusade to preserve the tea ceremony from the pressures of an era of radical change. An utterly absorbing story told in an enchanting and unforgettable voice, The Teahouse Fire is a lively, provocative, and lushly detailed historical novel of epic scope.