The Woman Who Wrote the World's First Novel.
Step behind the silk screens of 11th-century Heian Japan and discover the extraordinary life of
Murasaki Shikibu
. Born an ambitious scholar in a society that forbade female learning, Murasaki channeled her grief and forbidden knowledge into
The Tale of Genji
-the monumental work that pioneered the psychological novel.
This definitive history charts her path from secluded widowhood to becoming a key literary attendant in the Imperial Court, revealing how she captured the ephemeral sadness of
mono no aware
and redefined human consciousness on the page. Approx.182 pages, 32300 word count