Autumn Bridge

July 19, 2004
East collides with West in this complex, epic tale by Matsuoka (Cloud of Sparrows
), in which the ability to see the future is transferred from generation to generation in a Japanese clan. The mid-19th-century inheritor of the clan's visionary powers is Lord Genji, a powerful samurai warlord who favors western style modernization for Japan but faces fierce opposition from the antiforeigner element. Compounding his political troubles is his peculiar love affair with a beautiful young American Christian missionary. Emily Gibson has been in Japan for six years, doing her missionary work, trying to hide her feelings for Genji and translating a series of mysterious scrolls recounting the history of the clan. As she reads the scrolls, she discovers inexplicable references to her own life and her association with Genji's family. Meanwhile, flashbacks describe centuries of tangled relationships and events that result in Genji's rise to power, focusing particularly on beautiful Shizuka, Genji's 14th-century forebear, who has the sharpest vision of the clan's future. The convoluted tale is bursting with too many characters and jumps around in time too much to be a smooth read—a 13th-century Mongol invasion, assassination, clan warfare, romantic rivalries and an estranged son and heir to Genji's rule round out the packed narrative—but Matsuoka's rich, authoritative storytelling makes this an engrossing read. Agent, Candice Fuhrman.

June 1, 2003
In this follow-up to his debut, Cloud of Sparrows-a People Page-Turner of the Week-a woman sits in a castle writing a story of medieval Japan as enemies gather below.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2005
Adult/High School -The characters in this epic tale of shogun-era mysticism fairly leap from the pages. Time lines cross, uncross, and converge in the tangled history of one of the great families of the age. Each great lord of the Okumichi clan comes to be known as a prophet who is often driven quite mad by his visions. What no one outside the family knows is that Lady Shizuka, who lived at Cloud of Sparrows castle until 1311, is the true visionary, and that she "visits" her descendants with knowledge of the future. In the 1800s, Lord Genji plays host to American Christian missionary Emily Gibson. She is charged not only with trying to convert the heathen Buddhists, but also with translating the scrolls that chart the history of the clan. Among the scrolls, Emily finds a hidden history of prophecy and knowledge seemingly written just for her: Lady Shizuka's writings, known as Autumn Bridge. The book is intricately plotted on a grand scale; the samurai code of duty, loyalty, and honor shines throughout. The heroism of individuals may be overshadowed by the arc of history, but it is the individual details that create the wonderfully complex atmosphere of feudal Japan. Although this is a sequel to Matsuoka's "Cloud of Sparrows" (Delacorte, 2002), it stands on its own. Teens interested in history, different cultures, or fantasy should enjoy "Autumn Bridge"." -Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2004
Matsuoka continues the chronicle of Japanese nobleman Lord Genji he began in " Cloud of Sparrows " (2002). In 1867, American missionary Emily Gibson finds herself increasingly drawn to Genji, her Japanese benefactor. For his part, Genji, the head of the beleaguered Okumichi clan, struggles to control his secret admiration for the entirely unsuitable foreigner as he attempts to reconcile the increasingly obsolete world of the shoguns and the samurai warriors with the inevitable encroachment of Western ways and customs into his homeland. Translating a series of secret scrolls containing the history and prophesies of the Okumichi clan, Emily is startled to realize that the past reflects the present when she uncovers an ancient tale of treachery, valor, and forbidden love that seems to both parallel and presage her own situation. Stretching back and forth through the centuries, Matsuoka weaves a timeless tale of intrigue and romance. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)