Delicate and powerful... a haunting, sensitive meditation on memory as well as a wonderful introduction to a master sorely underappreciated in the West. . . timeless, elegiac, and masterful" - Shelf Awareness The story of a love affair and its tragic consequences, told through the letters of three women -- a contemporary translation of a Modern classic "A Japanese master. . . Inoue's humane and searching world view is there to be explored" - The Spectator Love, death, truth and loneliness are all intertwined in this masterpiece from one of Japan's greatest writers. A tragedy in three letters: the masterpiece of one of Japan's greatest writers A lover, her daughter and the abandoned wife: three letters by three women tell the story of a love affair's tragic consequences. First Shoko, who finds out about the infidelity through reading her mother's diary, then Midori, the wife who has always known but never told, and finally the beautiful Saiko, the woman who has betrayed her best friend.Yasushi Inoue's poised, unsentimental novella is a powerful tale with universal resonance. Written from three different points of view, the story explores the impact of forbidden passion. Don't miss this stunning new edition of a celebrated translation of a Modern classic -- the best known and most accomplished novel by the beloved Japanese author of the acclaimed novella Bullfight.