The Exile Way: A Mystery of Ancient Japan [Paperback]

Ann Woodward (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mystery of Ancient Japan | Publication Date: November 1996

Trained in the Chinese healing arts, Lady Aoi stands witness to the evil that has invaded the Imperial palace in Heian Japan--a mysterious fire ignited, the princess' quarters assailed, a young girl inexplicably murdered, a noble minister accused. Now Lady Aoi finds herself the target of a deadly enemy and must flee a court filled with spies and criminals in order to expose their illict secrets.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in medieval Japan, this lushly detailed mystery by a literate Westerner captures exotic details in a court of "abundant pleasures" where concubines are persecuted by jealous women and the Ministers of the Right and Left engage in convoluted power plays. The learned heroine, Lady Aoi, is depicted early as "a lone woman, entering at dusk" to help ease the suffering of the near-blind emperor with her medicinal crystals. The scroll giving instructions for the remedy is stolen during one of many fires that ravage the royal residence and eventually destroy another lady-in-waiting. Aoi survives banishment and brutal captors, no mean feats in this arcane but engaging mystery with some smartly (and appropriately) feminist overtones.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380784971
• ISBN-13: 978-0380784974
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,736,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mystery in Ancient Japan is Intelligent Read, May 20, 1998

By 

Helen Howerton (La Puente, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Exile Way: A Mystery of Ancient Japan (Paperback)

I found this book to be elegantly written, very Zen in its spareness and simplicity. The heroine, Lady Aoi leads a quiet life as lady-in-waiting to a princess of the Imperial Court, where she is friends with the Great Minister of the Right and uses her medical skills to treat the Emperor for an eye disorder. Conflict and intrigue soon arise, however; escaping from a journey into exile Lady Aoi uses the help of those inside and outside the court to discover a traitor.

Exquisite period detail and an understanding of "the world above the clouds," where a raised fan across black eyes can conceal hatred as well as modesty, mark Ms. Woodward's work. You can almost hear the rasp of the reed pen Lady Aoi uses to create her calligraphy, see the twilight fall on pine trees shadowing miniature gardens. There is no unwarranted movement, no undo haste, yet Woodward manages to convey a sense of urgency as Lady Aoi works to discover the source of the dangerous lust for power that threatens all. By choice, Lady Aoi conceals her own involvement in the unfolding of the plot: "It was always her desire to be unremarkable, to retain the freedoms of an ordinary woman."

A note regarding the editing: the book I read has several typographical errors in it, including an error of word omission near the end of the book ...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Nice Rainy Day Read, November 5, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Newport, RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Exile Way: A Mystery of Ancient Japan (Paperback)

I became an easy victim to Ann Woodward's highly readable and plausible yarn, set in 11th Century Japan. The story has a gothic tone, with a sense of ancient Japanese mystery and ritual that is neither too overbearing or too obtuse. The political drama captured in the story is every bit as grippping as Patricia Cornwell's bloody work. This effort of Woodward will find a place in my heart next to the other ancient historical mysteries I enjoy so well: Van Gulik's Judge Dee (Woodward's character is better developed emotionally), Lindsey Davis' Marcus Didio Falco (a better sense of humor), and Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder (a deeper, though much less poetic, sense of historical accuracy). I'm ready for the next one! Please make it soon, Ms. Woodward!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Heian Period Japan, July 11, 2009

By 

Lyn Reese (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Exile Way: A Mystery of Ancient Japan (Paperback)

Lady Aoi, lady-in waiting for the principle wife of an imperial prince, puts her own life in danger when she uses her cunning to try and solve the murder of a young girl. Woodward's book is very faithful to Japan's Heian period ("Tale of the Genji") where it takes place. Court dress, amusements, marital arrangements, the practice of aristocratic communication through poetry enliven the story. In her acknowledgements Woodward cites Murasaki Shikibu, Sei Shonagon and others as inspirations.