The Samurai’s Octopus
In the late 18th century, the walled quarter of Yoshiwara in the city of Edo, is renowned for its pleasure gardens and beautiful courtesans and prostitutes. Patrons often pursue business deals within the elegant surroundings of the finest Houses—with courtesans present, trained in manipulating them. Little Bird, or Birdie as she’s known, has lived all her life in the House of Treasures, serving as a child attendant to the Oiran Pearl, the highest-ranking courtesan. She hopes to become an Oiran herself one day, but as she matures, Birdie sees the darker side of Yoshiwara and has her doubts. But even though courtesans must please and serve these men, they may have power over them if they are clever.
The story begins when a samurai who’s fallen on hard times witnesses a murder. It’s dark, and the city is on fire, so he doesn’t recognize the killer, who escapes on horseback; or the woman he has taken along; or the victim, but he finds an octopus netsuke that fell from the murderer’s sash. He pockets it and flees. This murder and the netsuke haunt the rest of the story as Birdie grows up. Even after she guesses who the murderer is, mysteries keep unfolding.
Jonelle Patrick has written previous novels set in historic Japan, but this is my introduction to her depiction of that closed world: Japan itself, where the only outsiders allowed are Dutch traders, and the gated Yoshiwara quarter from 1784-1788 plus an epilogue. Highly recommended for the portrayal of the exotic Oirans—their clothing, makeup, protocols, and rivalries—and lesser courtesans and geishas, the wealthy men who patronize them, Birdie’s friends who are both inside and outside the adult world around them, and the underlying plots.
