The Makioka Sisters

Set in Osaka and the surrounding region in the years just before the Second World War, this long novel follows four sisters from a once prosperous merchant family. The older sisters are anxious to see the third sister, Yukiko, properly married, a task made harder by her shyness and by family pride. Meanwhile the youngest, Taeko, is headstrong and chafes at tradition. Through seasonal rituals, meetings with prospective husbands and everyday troubles, the book draws a detailed and affectionate portrait of a fading way of life as the wider world grows darker.