Dust Before the Wind
by I.J. Parker
Against the epic background of a war-torn country, the tragic lives of the main characters reach the final scenes. Bloody battles and the destruction of their home have caused Toshiko, Sadahira, and Hachiro to become separated from each other and from purpose in their lives. Toshiko seeks Go-Shirakawa’s help but is turned away and forced to support her children by performing in the brothels of the Yodo River. Hachiro flees the Kiso armies as they attack the capital and takes up his sword-fighting career again. And Sadahira, nursed back to health in a monastery, conceals his identity to take up the life of a traveling monk.
Eventually, father and son learn that Toshiko and the children have survived and set out to find her. When they meet at Toshiko’s brothel, the three must resolve their troubled relationships and find some peace amid the horrors of war.
(Available as ebook)
