The Tale of Murasaki is an elegant and brilliantly authentic historical novel by the author of Geisha and the only Westerner ever to have become a geisha. In the eleventh century Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji , the most popular work in the history of Japanese literature. In The Tale of Murasaki , Liza Dalby has created a breathtaking fictionalized narrative of the life of this timeless poet–a lonely girl who becomes such a compelling storyteller that she is invited to regale the empress with her tales. The Tale of Murasaki is the story of an enchanting time and an exotic place. Whether writing about mystical rice fields in the rainy mountains or the politics and intrigue of the royal court, Dalby breathes astonishing life into ancient Japan. “Luscious, lush and languorously elegant.... You feel you are breathing the air of 11th-century Japan.” -- USA Today “Liza Dalby is not just a remarkable scholar of Japan--she is a keen storyteller.” --Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha “An impressive spectacle.... Demands to be savored and appreciated.” -- San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle “An amazing feat.... Anyone already an enthusiast either of [The Tale of] Genji or of Arthur Golden’s wonderful Memoirs of a Geisha will already be running to the bookstore for this book.... A wonderful accomplishment.” --Newsday “Exquisite and poetic.... A leisurely, rich novel told in a dreamy style.... Elegant.” -- The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) “Captivating.... The Tale of Murasaki gets the big things right, including, indispensably, the dark undercurrent of sadness running below the bright, embroidered surface.... All this, and much more, rings so true to the created milieu of Genji that one is inclined to indulge Dalby in all she has dreamed or imagined.” -- The Washington Post Book World “Authentic.... Re-creates the life of an 11th-century Scheherazade.” -- Entertainment Weekly The Tale of Murasaki is an elegant and brilliantly authentic historical novel by the author of Geisha and the only Westerner ever to have become a geisha. In the eleventh century Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world?s first novel, The Tale of Genji , the most popular work in the history of Japanese literature. In The Tale of Murasaki , Liza Dalby has created a breathtaking fictionalized narrative of the life of this timeless poet?a lonely girl who becomes such a compelling storyteller that she is invited to regale the empress with her tales. The Tale of Murasaki is the story of an enchanting time and an exotic place. Whether writing about mystical rice fields in the rainy mountains or the politics and intrigue of the royal court, Dalby breathes astonishing life into ancient Japan. The Tale of Murasaki is an elegant and brilliantly authentic historical novel by the author of Geisha and the only Westerner ever to have become a geisha. In the eleventh century Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji, the most popular work in the history of Japanese literature. In The Tale of Murasaki," Liza Dalby has created a breathtaking fictionalized narrative of the life of this timeless poet-a lonely girl who becomes such a compelling storyteller that she is invited to regale the empress with her tales. The Tale of Murasaki" is the story of an enchanting time and an exotic place. Whether writing about mystical rice fields in the rainy mountains or the politics and intrigue of the royal court, Dalby breathes astonishing life into ancient Japan. Author of Geisha and Kimono and the only Westerner ever to have become a geisha, Liza Dalby is a consultant for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha . She lives in Berkeley, California. Katako's Letter I was pregnant with you when my mother died, but my condition was far from normal. I was often overwhelmed by waves of nausea. The only thing that held them at bay was a fresh citron. Scratching the bumpy yellow yuzu skin released a tiny vapor of citrus essence to inhale and quell my rising gorge. But most of the time I simply surrendered to queasy lassitude. I had to tuck emergency drafts of yuzu and tangerine peel in my sleeves to get through my mother's funeral. She had been living in seclusion for some time. Some people, on hearing of her death, were surprised that she had still been alive. Your grandmother was well known as the lady who wrote the Tale of Genji . That novel of romance and poignant observation appeared like a bright full moon floating out of a dark sky. No one had read anything like it before. It brought my mother fame and notoriety in her day. Still, I was surprised at the crowd that gathered for her final rites. At least a dozen ladies endured the inconvenient all-day trip to Ishiyama Temple. They must have been Genji readers who preferred the life they found in my mother's stories to their own dull husbands or difficult situations. I'm sure my mother b