“Like attending seasons of elegant tea parties—each one resplendent with character and drama. Delicious.”—Maxine Hong Kingston The story of two women whose lives intersect in late-nineteenth-century Japan, The Teahouse Fire is also a portrait of one of the most fascinating places and times in all of history—Japan as it opens its doors to the West. It was a period when wearing a different color kimono could make a political statement, when women stopped blackening their teeth to profess an allegiance to Western ideas, and when Japan’s most mysterious rite—the tea ceremony—became not just a sacramental meal, but a ritual battlefield. We see it all through the eyes of Aurelia, an American orphan adopted by the Shin family, proprietors of a tea ceremony school, after their daughter, Yukako, finds her hiding on their grounds. Aurelia becomes Yukako’s closest companion, and they, the Shin family, and all of Japan face a time of great challenges and uncertainty. Told in an enchanting and unforgettable voice, The Teahouse Fire is a lively, provocative, and lushly detailed historical novel of epic scope and compulsive readability.

“Like attending seasons of elegant tea parties—each one resplendent with character and drama. Delicious.”—Maxine Hong Kingston The story of two women whose lives intersect in late-nineteenth-century Japan, The Teahouse Fire is also a portrait of one of the most fascinating places and times in all of history—Japan as it opens its doors to the West. It was a period when wearing a different color kimono could make a political statement, when women stopped blackening their teeth to profess an allegiance to Western ideas, and when Japan’s most mysterious rite—the tea ceremony—became not just a sacramental meal, but a ritual battlefield. We see it all through the eyes of Aurelia, an American orphan adopted by the Shin family, proprietors of a tea ceremony school, after their daughter, Yukako, finds her hiding on their grounds. Aurelia becomes Yukako’s closest companion, and they, the Shin family, and all of Japan face a time of great challenges and uncertainty. Told in an enchanting and unforgettable voice, The Teahouse Fire is a lively, provocative, and lushly detailed historical novel of epic scope and compulsive readability.

When a series of fires in Japan's capital points to foul-play, the famous samurai Judge Ooka puts 14-year-old Seikei on the case to discover who's behind them. Determined to prove his worth, Seikei poses as a teahouse attendant to gather information, and winds up entering the mysterious worlds of geishas and revenge.

A hilarious and heartwarming tale, perfect for fans of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and Cecelia Ahern. The tea house on Mulberry Street in Belfast hasn't changed much over the years. But it's full of people who are hoping to . . . Owner Daniel Stanley might make the most glorious deserts in the whole of Ireland, but he won't support his wife Penny's desire to have at least one bun in the oven. Sadie finds refuge from her diet and her husband's infidelity in Daniel's famous cherry cheesecake. Struggling artist Brenda is dreaming of a better life. Clare returns home from twenty years in New York, still cherishing the memory of the one night she truly loved - and lost. And Penny herself discovers a secret from the past - and a handsome estate agent very much in her present. They all want their lives to change - but are they willing to face the consequences? And the possibility that you might not always be able to have your cake - and eat it . . . Praise for Sharon Owens: 'Maeve Binchey meets Joanna Trollope . . . Gives you a warm glow like a nice cup of tea' Irish Independent 'It made me refuse nights out in favour of curling up on the couch . . . dreaming of mouth-watering delights the book so vividly describes' Cecelia Ahern 'A lovely heart-warming tale brimming with entertaininng twists and turns' Heat **** 'A real page-turner' Company *****

A National Poetry Series winner, chosen by Edward Sanders. “What power. Smith’s poetry is all poetry. And visceral. Her poems get under the skin of their subjects. Their passion and empathy, their real worldliness, are blockbuster.”—Marvin Bell “I was weeping for the beauty of poetry when I reached the end of the final poem.”—Edward Sanders, National Poetry Series judge From Lollapalooza to Carnegie Hall, Patricia Smith has taken the stage as this nation’s premier performance poet. Featured in the film Slamnation and on the HBO series Def Poetry Jam, Smith is back with her first book in over a decade—a National Poetry Series winner weaving passionate, bluesy narratives into an empowering, finely tuned cele-bration of poetry’s liberating power.

Queen Mob's Teahouse is an online literary magazine. Queen Mob's Teahouse: Teh Book is this volume. All new, no doubts.

This immensely likeable satire of the American civilizing mission in Okinawa was a phenomenon when it was published in 1951. The many-layered novel retains its charm and power today; beneath the comical mayhem that engulfs the village Tobiki we see the pitfalls and possibilities of cultural exchange and nation-building.