The thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoet - David Mitchell

About This Book

The year is 1799, the place Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, the high-walled, fan-shaped artificial island that is the Japanese Empire s single port and sole window onto the world, designed to keep the West at bay; the farthest outpost of the war-ravaged Dutch East Indies Company; and a de facto prison for the dozen foreigners permitted to live and work there. To this place of devious merchants, deceitful interpreters, costly courtesans, earthquakes, and typhoons comes Jacob de Zoet, a devout and resourceful young clerk who has five years in the East to earn a fortune of sufficient size to win the hand of his wealthy fianc e back in Holland.

But Jacob s original intentions are eclipsed after a chance encounter with Orito Aibagawa, the disfigured daughter of a samurai doctor and midwife to the city s powerful magistrate. The borders between propriety, profit, and pleasure blur until Jacob finds his vision clouded, one rash promise made and then fatefully broken. The consequences will extend beyond Jacob s worst imaginings. As one cynical colleague asks, Who ain t a gambler in the glorious Orient, with his very life?

HISTORICAL FICTION

About Readmatter Online Used Bookshop

Born from a dream during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, ReadMatter has blossomed into one of South Africa s premier online used bookstores. Operating from three strategic depots in Gauteng, we diligently deliver hundreds of books weekly, illuminating minds and enriching souls and bringing the joy of reading to every corner of the nation. Our shelves boast roughly 10,000 books and 4,000 authors at any moment, with an additional 100,000 unlisted treasures available upon request. Can't find what you're looking for? Allow us the privilege to unearth it for you! At ReadMatter, a portion of every sale is lovingly donated to cherished causessupporting the aged, the vulnerable, and animal conservation. Join us in turning pages and transforming lives, one story at a time.