Staff Pick of the Week
The Teahouse Fire
Ellis Avery
Late nineteenth century Japan was a time of cultural confusion as traditional Eastern customs were being challenged by innovations from the Western world. This fascinating period of time is brought to life in The Teahouse Fire, the story Aurelia Bernard, a nine year old American girl who accompanies her cruel Jesuit uncle to his mission in Japan following the death of her mother. When a fire sweeps through their compound and takes the life of her uncle, Aurelia is alone in the world. She flees the fire and inadvertently ends up at the Bashian Teahouse, one of the most powerful teahouses in Japan, where she will remain for the next 25 years. Aurelia, renamed Urako by the mistress of the house, struggles to find her place as an unacknowledged “foreigner” in the small village, protected by her place in the Shin household yet ultimately without rights or a say in her future.
The Teahouse Fire is an epic novel that beautifully describes the culture clash happening within Japan and within Urako herself. The descriptions of the sacred tea ceremony are beautifully rendered, as is Urako’s search for love and acceptance. This novel will appeal to lovers of historical fiction, those interested in Japanese culture, and anyone who appreciates a story of personal growth written with tenderness and subtly.
Karen Rutkowski
Story Program Coordinator
