When an epidemic threatens to destroy the silk trade in France, the young merchant Herve Joncour leaves his doting wife and his comfortable home in the small town of Lavilledieu and travels across Siberia to the other end of the world, to Japan, to obtain eggs for a fresh breeding of silk worms. It is the 1860s; Japan is closed to foreigners and this has to be a clandestine operation. During his undercover negotiations with the local baron, Joncour's attention is arrested by the man's concubine, a girl who does not have Oriental eyes. Although the young Frenchman and the girl are unable to exchange so much as a word, love blossoms between them, conveyed by a number of recondite messages in the course of four visits the Frenchman pays to Japan. How their secret affair develops and how it unfolds is told in a narration as beautiful, smooth and seamless as a piece of the finest silk

I found this a very engaging read that held my interest throughout. It is a short tale about a merchant of silk worms. It reminds me in a sense of the innocence of a child's book as there is a repetitive quality, however, the content is not suitable for child readers!

The story is essentially that of a love story, yet without a word spoken! Definitely one to read!

This is also a book on the 1001 list of books to read before you die.

To be taken along to the bookcrossing convention and left out for someone who has this book on their wish list...if for some reason this book is not required it will be placed onto the tables for wild release.

If this is your introduction to Bookcrossing, welcome!

Please make as many, or few, comments about the book as you wish. The book is now yours to do with as you choose. Keep it, pass it on, but please leave the label, so we can keep in touch with what's happened to it in the future.

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Thanks so much for this book - it has been on my wishlist for years...

Sending to another bookcrosser who requested it. He has promised to return it because it is a 1001 book I've not managed to read yet and if he doesn't, I will hunt him down... (I have his address).

Kindly sent to me by Carole. I promise I will send it back - don't want to incur Tabby Wrath - it looks mean.

I have sourced another copy of the book so I am sending this one back to Carole.
Thanks so much for the loan. My wife hasn't quite got around to reading it yet !

Thank you for returning this. Didn't mean to scare you into getting another copy. :-)