![]() ![]() ![]() In turn Yukako loves Aurelia for her way of asking questions that no one else would. Aurelia’s place within their household is strengthened by her abject admiration of Yukako. This is doubly apparent in the deliberate ritual of tea.Īvery gently draws the reader to empathize with Aurelia’s desires for love and acceptance. Each gesture, expression, and turn of phrase is described in such detail that it is imbued with compelling sensuality. The voice of Aurelia gives texture and meaning to the time and place. This story personalizes Japan at this time in history without going over the top. One fervent wish at an altar in a foreign city catapults her into a life she could have never imagined-”Any life but this one.” Aurelia finds herself the servant and “younger sister” of Yukako, the daughter of the Shin household where the temae, or The Way of Tea, shapes their everyday reality. Set in late 19th-century Japan, Ellis Avery’s first novel follows Aurelia Cornielle, a French orphan, who narrates the story of how she lived and loved in a rapidly Westernizing Japan. ![]()
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