Jacob falls in love with Orito who was burned on half her face as a child. Just as he proposes to her, she is whisked away to a nunnery that is next to a monastery. Orito is forced to live there because of debts her step mother incurred. The debt is to be repaid by Orito through her skills as a midwife to the nuns in the nunnery.
If you are starting to get the idea this nunnery isn't like what we'd expect in the U.S. - then you are right! There are a lot of strange things going on in this nunnery and it is up to Jacob and his Japanese friends to free Orito.
This is a very satisfying novel. Even though it is about love, there are so many other things going on in the book, that you don't feel it is JUST about Jacob's love for Orito. It is about the trading company and the people that work for it and it is about the singular customs and mysteries of Japan.
Rating: 10 / 10
ISBN: 9781400065455
Publisher: Random House
Edition: 1st Edition