Synopses & Reviews
In this sweeping epic, true love transcends the brutality of war.
Octavio Ribeiro loves truth, beauty, literature, and above all else, his wife Salomé. As a student in Chile, he courted her with the words of great poets, and she fell in love with his fierce intelligence and uncompromising passion. Then a sudden coup brings a brutal military dictatorship into power, and puts anyone who resists in grave danger.
Salomé begs Octavio to put his family’s safety first, rather than speak against the new regime. When he refuses, it’s Salomé who pays the price.
Belatedly awake to the reality of their danger, Octavio finds political asylum for the family in Sweden. But for Salomé, the path back to love is fraught with painful secrets, and the knowledge that they can never go home again.
Previously published as Swedish Tango
Review
"A meticulous profile of a man struggling against his native culture, his family and his own sense of responsibility. [Richman's] knowledge of Japanese political and artistic history is evident, adding nuance and depth to Kiyoki's sad story of rebellion." --
New York Times Book Review"Recalls Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha...Her sense of Japanese culture is subtle and nuanced." --San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle
"The Mask Carver's Son is a long, succulent glide through two cultures." --Bookforum
Review
Praise for The Rhythm of Memory "An engrossing examination of the prisons people create for themselves...an ambitious exploration of political and personal struggles."—Publishers Weekly
"A heart-wrenching story of loss and love."—Library Journal
Praise for The Lost Wife
"A truly beautiful heartfelt story...I couldn't put it down once I started it. Ms. Richman is a very special talent."—New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah
"Staggeringly evocative, romantic, heartrending, sensual, and beautifully written...the Sophie's Choice of this generation."—New York Times bestselling author John Lescroat
"Daringly constructed."—Two-time Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Loring Mandel
"Tense, emotional and fulfilling."—NBC News Special Correspondent and Jewish National Book Award winner Martin Fletcher
Synopsis
Set in turn of the century Japan in the world of the Noh theater, and in Paris during the heady days when French Impressionism was the avant-garde, this heartbreaking, beautifully written novel tells of a young Japanese artist who sacrifices everything: family, love and wealth for his art.
A Master Noh mask carver dedicates his life to his art, turning his back on love after a series of tragic events leaves him devastated. Kiyoki, his only son, defies his father and the demands of cultural tradition to follow his dream of becoming a painter in the western style. Kiyoki journeys to Paris, where he lives the life of an exile, unable to break the bonds of tradition, until he finds his heart leads him back to Japan, where he at last discovers himself as an artist.
About the Author
While at college,
Alyson Richman won a fellowship which enabled her to research four Japanese Meiji artists who studied Western painting in Europe. Kiyoki is based on the experiences of these men.
The Mask Carver's Son is her first novel. She lives in Long Island City with her husband.