Janice P. Nimura

"Her life was a bridge from the nineteenth century to the twentieth, from the time-hallowed beauty and rigidity of a samurai household to the disorienting, forward-looking freedoms of the West." —Janice P. Nimura, from the foreword. This classic memoir tells the story of a remarkable Asian-American woman navigating two very different cultures—a loyal wife, a widowed mother, and a bilingual breadwinner—who finds her voice in a strange new world. Follow her journey as she:Witnesses her father prepare and perform ritual seppuku, and her mother burn down the ancestral homeBids an emotional farewell and sails across the ocean to marry a wealthy merchant in a new landReturns to Tokyo with her two daughters and mother-in-law, only to find her homeland as alien as America, forcing her to reinvent herself to provide for her familyEventually returns to America with her children after the death of her mother-in-lawAn international bestseller when first published a century ago, A Daughter of the Samurai remains a testament to a woman's resolve, strength, and endurance. This edition includes a new foreword by 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist Janice P. Nimura.

"Her life was a bridge from the nineteenth century to the twentieth, from the time-hallowed beauty and rigidity of a samurai household to the disorienting, forward-looking freedoms of the West." —Janice P. Nimura, from the foreword. This is the story of one woman's remarkable life successfully navigating two very different cultures—the first memoir of an Asian-American woman. Beautifully told, this immigrant's account of an unforgettable journey is the story of a headstrong and empowered woman—a loyal wife, a widowed mother and a bilingual breadwinner—finding her way and finding her voice in a strange new world. Follow in her footsteps and trace the remarkable trajectory of her life as she:Witnesses her father prepare and perform the ritual seppuku and her mother burn down the family homeBids an emotional farewell and sails across the ocean to marry a wealthy merchant in a new landReturns to Tokyo with her two daughters and mother-in-law, only to find her homeland just as alien as America, forcing her to reinvent herself again in order to provide for her familyReturns to America with her children following the death of her mother-in-lawAn international bestseller when it was first published a century ago, A Daughter of the Samurai emerges as a rare testament to a singular woman's resolve, strength and endurance. This edition features a new foreword by 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist Janice P. Nimura.

A Daughter of the Samurai is written by Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto. Her story, as Sugimoto tells it, is: "How a daughter of feudal Japan, living hundreds of years in one generation, became a modern American." In this book, intriguing intimate episodes involving love, duty, and family ties are revealed even as there was clash of cultures and misunderstandings between Japanese and Western ways. While living between a semi-mythical past and a resurgent international scenario, the author recounts the personal impact of the profound social changes brought about by Japanese-American relations during the Meiji period. Sugimoto offers an insider's view of traditional Japanese samurai family life as it is in the process of being brushed off. Although the book contains several chapters, it starts with author's description of Japan. In the very first chapter 'Winters in Echigo, ' Sugimoto tells, Japan is often called by foreign people a land of sunshine and cherry blossoms. Among her delicate and significant anecdotes, she tells of the Japanese fianc e whose betrothed had a plum-blossom as his family crest.

Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world at first recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity ultimately won her the acceptance of the male medical establishment. In 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an M. D. She was soon joined in her iconic achievement by her younger sister, Emily, who was actually the more brilliant physician. Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies, and enduring partnership, Janice P. Nimura presents a story of trial and triumph. Together, the Blackwells founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women. Both sisters were tenacious and visionary, but their convictions did not always align with the emergence of women's rights--or with each other. From Bristol, Paris, and Edinburgh to the rising cities of antebellum America, this richly researched new biography celebrates two complicated pioneers who exploded the limits of possibility for women in medicine. As Elizabeth herself predicted, "a hundred years hence, women will not be what they are now."

Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world at first recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity ultimately won her the acceptance of the male medical establishment. In 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an M. D. She was soon joined in her iconic achievement by her younger sister, Emily, who was actually the more brilliant physician. Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies, and enduring partnership, Janice P. Nimura presents a story of trial and triumph. Together, the Blackwells founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women. Both sisters were tenacious and visionary, but their convictions did not always align with the emergence of women's rights--or with each other. From Bristol, Paris, and Edinburgh to the rising cities of antebellum America, this richly researched new biography celebrates two complicated pioneers who exploded the limits of possibility for women in medicine. As Elizabeth herself predicted, "a hundred years hence, women will not be what they are now."

In 1871, five young girls were sent by the Japanese government to the United States. Their mission: learn Western ways and return to help nurture a new generation of enlightened men to lead Japan. Raised in traditional samurai households during the turmoil of civil war, three of these unusual ambassadors--Sutematsu Yamakawa, Shige Nagai, and Ume Tsuda--grew up as typical American schoolgirls. Upon their arrival in San Francisco they became celebrities, their travels and traditional clothing exclaimed over by newspapers across the nation. As they learned English and Western customs, their American friends grew to love them for their high spirits and intellectual brilliance. The passionate relationships they formed reveal an intimate world of cross-cultural fascination and connection. Ten years later, they returned to Japan--a land grown foreign to them--determined to revolutionize women's education. Based on in-depth archival research in Japan and in the United States, including decades of letters from between the three women and their American host families, Daughters of the Samurai is beautifully, cinematically written, a fascinating lens through which to view an extraordinary historical moment.

In 1871, five young girls were sent by the Japanese government to the United States. Their mission: learn Western ways and return to help nurture a new generation of enlightened men to lead Japan. Raised in traditional samurai households during the turmoil of civil war, three of these unusual ambassadors Sutematsu Yamakawa, Shige Nagai, and Ume Tsuda grew up as typical American schoolgirls. Upon their arrival in San Francisco they became celebrities, their travels feted by newspapers across the nation. The passionate friendships they formed reveal an intimate world of cross-cultural fascination and connection. Ten years later, they returned to Japan a land grown foreign to them determined to revolutionize women s education. Based on in-depth archival research in Japan and in the United States, Daughters of the Samurai is beautifully, cinematically written, a fascinating lens through which to view an extraordinary historical moment."