From the back cover: On the eve of World War II, the destinies of three men named "Adolf"—including the infamous dictator of Germany's Third Reich—became inexorably intertwined... Review: I had already requested Adolf via interlibrary loan when Connie posted her excellent review of the series at Manga Recon. You can see what she has to say about it here. In this later work, … [Read more...] about Adolf 1: A Tale of the Twentieth Century by Osamu Tezuka: A
Historical Fiction
Kaze Hikaru 6-8 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
Even though I've enjoyed the earlier volumes of Kaze Hikaru, it is these three volumes—which expertly combine romance, humor, character development, and historical events (with exciting bits of foreshadowing)—that have secured my undying love for the series. We begin in the summer of 1864. The Shinsengumi is waiting for the Bakufu government to take a stand regarding … [Read more...] about Kaze Hikaru 6-8 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
Kaze Hikaru 3-5 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
Tominaga Sei, a teenaged girl who has assumed the male identity of Kamiya Seizaburo in order to join the Mibu-Roshi and avenge the deaths of her brother and father, has achieved her revenge. As volume three begins, her mentor and unrequited love, Okita Soji, is urging her to leave because she has accomplished her task, but Sei doesn't want to go and demands acceptance as a man. … [Read more...] about Kaze Hikaru 3-5 by Taeko Watanabe: A-
Patience & Sarah by Isabel Miller: B-
From the back cover: Early in the nineteenth century, in a puritanical New England town, two women did something unspeakable, something unheard of—they fell in love with each other. With nothing and no one to guide or support them, Patience and Sarah tried to follow their hearts. And when family pressures separated them, the two women dreamed of leaving their homes, of being … [Read more...] about Patience & Sarah by Isabel Miller: B-
The Color of Water by Kim Dong Hwa: C
The story of Ehwa, as begun in The Color of Earth, continues in this second volume of a trilogy. Like the first book in the series, The Color of Water is mostly about sex. Ever-curious Ehwa discovers some new things in this volume, often spurred along by crude scenes involving fields of phallic peppers or copulating animals. She also begins a romance with Duksam, a … [Read more...] about The Color of Water by Kim Dong Hwa: C