Past and present collide when an American missionary unearths an ancient Japanese scroll and becomes entangled with the nobleman whose family’s history lies in the delicate pages in this “timeless tale of intrigue and romance” ( Booklist ) from the author of Cloud of Sparrows . “One of the most impressive feats of storytelling to come along in years.”— San Francisco Chronicle Books An embattled family. A centuries-old secret. An epic tale of courage, love, and betrayal. In the year 1311, in the highest tower of Cloud of Sparrows Castle, a beautiful woman sits by the window, watching as enemies gather below. As she calmly awaits her fate, she begins to write, carefully setting down on a scroll the secret history of the Okumichi clan . . . of the gift of prophecy they share and the extraordinary destiny that awaits them. For six centuries, these writings lay hidden—until they are uncovered by an American missionary named Emily Gibson, who arrived in Edo harbor in 1861. Soon an extraordinary man would enter her life: Lord Genji of the Okumichi clan, a nobleman who must defend his embattled family—and confront forbidden feelings for an outsider in his midst. Emily soon finds a mission of her own: translating Genji’s ancestral history. But as Emily sifts through the fragile scrolls, she begins to see threads of her own life woven into the ancient writings. And soon a hidden history comes to life, and with it a secret prophecy that has been shrouded for centuries, and may now finally be revealed. “As sexy as a silk scarf drawn slowly across bare skin, as violent as any old-style Toyo Theater samurai flick and as romantic as a rose left on a lover’s pillow.” — Honolulu Advertiser “Stretching back and forth through the centuries, Matsuoka weaves a timeless tale of intrigue and romance.” — Booklist “Matsuoka’s rich, authoritative storytelling makes this an engrossing read.” — Publishers Weekly “Offers one of the most impressive feats of storytelling to come along in years . . . told in all the rich and exotic detail that made [ Cloud of Sparrows ] such a delight.” — San Francisco Chronicle Books In the year 1311, in the highest tower of Cloud of Sparrows Castle, a beautiful woman sits by the window, watching as enemies gather below and fires spread through the night. As she calmly awaits her fate, she begins to write, carefully setting down on a scroll the secret history of the Okumichi clan...of the gift of prophecy they share and the extraordinary destiny that awaits them. For six centuries, these remarkable writings lay hidden--until they are uncovered by an American woman, a missionary named Emily Gibson, who arrived in Edo harbor in 1861, in flight from a tragic past. Soon an extraordinary man would enter her life: Lord Genji of the Okumichi clan, a nobleman with a gift of prophecy who must defend his embattled family--and confront forbidden feelings for an outsider in his midst. Emily, too, soon finds herself at a turning point; courted by two westerners, she knows her heart belongs to the one man she cannot have. But Emily has found a mission of her own: translating Genji's ancestral history, losing herself in an epic tale of heroism and forbidden love. For here is the story of Lady Shizuka, the beautiful witch-princess who has enchanted Okumichi men for generations...of Genji's ancestors, Lord Hironobu and Lord Kiyori, and of the terrible betrayals that befell them...and of Genji's parents: a wastrel father and his child bride whose tragic love has shaped Genji as a leader and as a man. As Emily sifts through the fragile scrolls, she begins to see threads of her own life woven into the ancient writings. And as past and present collide, a hidden history comes to life, and with it a secret prophecy that has been shrouded for centuries, and may now finally berevealed. Takashi Matsuoka's spellbinding novel is infused with spectacle, intricately woven, magically told. Autumn Bridge is a feast for the senses, a work of truly dazzling storytelling. "From the Hardcover edition. Takashi Matsuoka grew up in Hawaii. He lives in Honolulu, where he was employed at a Zen Buddhist temple before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of the acclaimed novels Autumn Bridge and Cloud of Sparrows , which has been translated into fifteen languages, including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Czech, and Hebrew. 1 The Wraith The Great Lord wields a sharp sword, rides a fierce warhorse, commands unruly vassals. He has taken the heads of ten thousand foes. His martial prowess is the marvel of the realm. But did he not enter this world bawling from a woman's womb? Did he not suckle helplessly at a woman's breast? And when the cold stars sparkle like ice in the winter sky, and the depth of eternity chills his heart, for what does he yearn more than a woman's embrace? Aki-no-hashi (1311) 1860, cloud of sparrows castle in akaoka domain Lady Shizuka had not changed in th