Three letters from three women unfold the story of a love affair and its tragic consequences

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'Two graceful new translations [of The Hunting Gun and Life of a Counterfeiter] should help expand [Inoue's] audience in English . . . These elegant new editions of Inoue's work are in keeping with his masterfully understated prose' New York Times

'A modern Japanese master... Inoue's humane and searching world view is there to be explored' Spectator

'Such is his empathy at times that he transforms the study of human nature into profound art... [he] never wastes words. He knows how to make the smallest detail speak volumes... outstanding' Irish Times

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A lover, her daughter and an abandoned wife: three women write letters revealing the tragic aftermath of a forbidden love affair. Saiko is beautiful, sophisticated - and disloyal to her cousin and closest friend. Midori, forsaken by her husband, takes a silent vengeance. And Shoko, Saiko's daughter, is left to make sense of family secrets.

In this masterpiece of mid-century Japanese fiction, Inoue weaves together conflicting perspectives to tell a single story of love, death, truth and longing.