In this novel Uno Chiyo has created one of the most memorable love stories in Japanese literature. It is the story of Yuasa J?ji, a famous artist who returns to Japan after many years in Paris. Once back in Tokyo, he receives love letters from a fervent young woman who begs him to meet her--importunings that start him on a bizarre round of romantic adventures.Writing here at the height of her powers, one of Japan�s foremost women writers explores both the folly and the inevitability of human passion, leading the reader to a startling revelation of how lives can be destroyed by the compulsions of love.