Spring Castle

"Spring Castle is ambitious and unforgettable. Ishimure devoted half a century to it; Allen has carried her devotion across languages. Together, they have given readers a requiem for the 37,000 nameless—and a reminder that even in silence, the flower clock continues to tick." —Asian Review of Books

The Untold Story of the Christian Rebellion That Changed Japanese History.

Spring Castle is the epic story of Japan's bloody Shimabara Rebellion, told through the eyes of the peasants and former samurai who rose up their oppressors with extraordinary bravery. Facing religious persecution and famine, 37,000 ordinary men, women and children led by a charismatic teenage boy occupied an abandoned castle, only to be ruthlessly slaughtered by the shogun's army on the uprising's final day.

History books have retold this story countless times, but renowned novelist Michiko Ishimure spent fifty years imaginatively reconstructing the lives, thoughts, fears and dreams of the forgotten people who perished that day—likely including her own ancestors. With great sensitivity, Ishimure depicts the religious awakening and struggles of a large cast of characters who gradually come to recognize that they have no choice but to fight for their freedom and dignity.

As translator Bruce Allen writes, "Ishimure devoted her life to telling the stories of people whose lives were threatened by society's desire for material progress. This book provides a requiem for the victims of this process, along with a call for recognition, reconciliation, and renewal."