Flame in the Mist

Nancy Wu provides a dramatic characterization of a wealthy young woman who seizes an opportunity to be free of the constraints that feudal Japan imposes on women. When Mariko's caravan is attacked, she begins to masquerade as a boy, a practice she will grow reluctant to give up. Wu is comfortable with the story's Japanese words and names. Her portrayal of Mariko is sensitive to her fears and insecurities, both of which are covered by a veneer of bravado that gradually transforms into confidence and strength. Against a backdrop of the strict social conventions of the period, Wu draws out the tension between appearances and reality. J.E.M. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine