017 - Bk II Ch 9 The Home-Coming

In Nami-ko, we follow the poignant journey of a young woman from a noble Japanese family as she navigates the complexities of love and duty. Recently married to the devoted naval officer Takeo, Namis world is shattered when she contracts tuberculosis. While Takeo strives to create a blissful life for her, his mother views Namis illness as a dire threat to their family legacy. Manipulated by Chijiwa, a scorned lover and Takeos cousin, she forces Nami back to her family, ultimately leading to a divorce. When Takeo returns from the front lines of the war with China, he is devastated by the irreversible separation. As Namis health declines, her only hope is to reunite with her beloved one last time. This compelling tale, originally published in 1899 as Hototogisu (The Cuckoo) by Kenjiro Tokutomi (pen-name Roka), explores the tension between tradition and modernity in post-Meiji Restoration Japan. This edition features a translation by Sakae Shioya and E. F. Edgett from 1904. (Summary by Availle)