About this ebook
In this haunting novel, John Ball returns to the setting he evoked so beautifully in his earlier success, Miss One Thousand Spring Blossoms. Set against the exquisite landscape of rural Japan, The Winds of Mitamura weaves an engrossing contemporary story of how people from radically different backgrounds seek in individual ways for respect, mutual understanding, and love.
Peter Storm, an assistant professor of sociology, receives the plum assignment of his career: to study at first hand the effects of modern technology on a remote Japanese rice farming village. His partner on the project is a young black graduate student named Marjorie Saunders. Because the sponsors of the project do not want "expert" preconceptions to interfere with fresh observations, both Peter and Marjorie are ignorant of a crucial prejudice: the rural Japanese have a deep-rooted fear of dark-skinned people. Worst of all, the inhabitants of this particular village, Mitamura, have a very special reason to dread blacks—a reason that almost costs Peter and Marjorie their lives.
From the moment the two Americans set foot in Mitamura, they are caught up in the task of overcoming the villagers' distrust of strangers. Only with the help of Akitoshi Ko-jima, an artist living in the village, do they begin to find acceptance from the members of the community. They come to appreciate the rhythms and customs of life in the village, the arduous work in the rice paddies, and, surrounding them, the undisturbed order of the countryside—a serenity which all but conceals the village's terrible secret. Peter and Marjorie also discover new loves that intensify their experiences in Mitamura, experiences ultimately threatened by a ferocious typhoon.
Two sensitive love stories, the climactic typhoon that crashes down on Mitamura, and, above all, the author's deep understanding of a rich, complex culture combine to make The Winds of Mitamura one of John Ball's most satisfying novels.
Peter Storm, an assistant professor of sociology, receives the plum assignment of his career: to study at first hand the effects of modern technology on a remote Japanese rice farming village. His partner on the project is a young black graduate student named Marjorie Saunders. Because the sponsors of the project do not want "expert" preconceptions to interfere with fresh observations, both Peter and Marjorie are ignorant of a crucial prejudice: the rural Japanese have a deep-rooted fear of dark-skinned people. Worst of all, the inhabitants of this particular village, Mitamura, have a very special reason to dread blacks—a reason that almost costs Peter and Marjorie their lives.
From the moment the two Americans set foot in Mitamura, they are caught up in the task of overcoming the villagers' distrust of strangers. Only with the help of Akitoshi Ko-jima, an artist living in the village, do they begin to find acceptance from the members of the community. They come to appreciate the rhythms and customs of life in the village, the arduous work in the rice paddies, and, surrounding them, the undisturbed order of the countryside—a serenity which all but conceals the village's terrible secret. Peter and Marjorie also discover new loves that intensify their experiences in Mitamura, experiences ultimately threatened by a ferocious typhoon.
Two sensitive love stories, the climactic typhoon that crashes down on Mitamura, and, above all, the author's deep understanding of a rich, complex culture combine to make The Winds of Mitamura one of John Ball's most satisfying novels.
In this haunting novel, John Ball returns to the setting he evoked so beautifully in his earlier success, Miss One Thousand Spring Blossoms. Set against the exquisite landscape of rural Japan, The Winds of Mitamura weaves an engrossing contemporary story of how people from radically different bac...
Discover more
About the author
The son of a scientist, John Ball was born in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Milwaukee. He attended Carroll College in Wisconsin. He subsequently worked as a science staff writer on Fortune, a music critic and feature writer for the Brooklyn Eagle, a daily columnist on the New York World-Telegram & Sun, a broadcaster for a Washington radio station, and a Director of Public Relations for the Institute of Aerospace Sciences. His In the Heat of the Night was awarded a Mystery Writers of America "Edgar" for the Best First Mystery Novel of the Year, and since had been followed by The Cool Cottontail, also featuring his African-American detective, Virgil Tibbs. Mr. Ball has also authored a number of notable young adult books. Praise for John Ball "The guy certainly knows his airplanes well and he held my interest very tightly as he developed the story." —RICHARD BACH, author of Stranger to the Ground and Biplane (Rescue Mission) "A nice tight murder puzzle." —Times Literary Supplement (Five Pieces of Jade) "A taut, dramatic yarn." —Charlotte Observer (Five Pieces of Jade) "Tibbs is as much a model of perfection as the late Wimsey... A good detective who actually ratiocinates." —Times Literary Supplement (London) (Then Came Violence) "John Ball knows how to run with a good plot--and this is one of his best." —Kirkus Reviews (Singapore) "A top notch mystery." —News & Observer (The Kiwi Target) "A breathtaking suspense thriller." —Seattle Post-Intelligencer (The Kiwi Target) "The Kiwi Target is the last book that John Ball wrote. We shall miss his inspiration." —Mystery Scene (The Kiwi Target)
The son of a scientist, John Ball was born in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Milwaukee. He attended Carroll College in Wisconsin. He subsequently worked as a science staff writer on Fortune, a music critic and feature writer for the Brooklyn Eagle, a daily columnist on the New York World-T...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
