THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET

by David Mitchell
 
Set in 1799, this is the captivating tale of a Dutchman who, in a quest to win his beloved’s hand in marriage, embarks on a five- year expedition with the Dutch East Indies Company to Nagasaki, Japan, that country’s only port open to trade with the west at that time.
 
Mitchell magically transports the reader to a time and a place completely foreign to us.  We live Jacob de Zoet’s life with him as he struggles to navigate his difficult job with the East Indies Company, in a company full of corrupt employees.  Jacob strives to keep his ties with the West and his promises.   But we empathize as he gets drawn to an intriguing Japanese woman and the fascinating culture of Japan.
 
The Thousand Autumns takes you on an amazing adventure as Jacob must expose a powerful shogun’s sordid secret double-life.  It tells a poignant love story between two people from vastly different cultures.  And it brings to life a period and a culture completely different from ours. The Dutch and the Japanese names can be difficult to keep straight, but the effort pays off in the end.
 
This is a fantastic book like no other you have ever read. (Liz)