Synopsis
It is 1959 when Haruko, a young woman of good family, marries the Crown Prince of Japan, the heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne. She is the first non-aristocratic woman to enter the longest-running, almost hermetically sealed, and mysterious monarchy in the world. Met with cruelty and suspicion by the Empress and her minions, Haruko is controlled at every turn. The only interest the court has in her is her ability to produce an heir. After finally giving birth to a son, Haruko suffers a nervous breakdown and loses her voice. However, determined not to be crushed by the imperial bureaucrats, she perseveres. Thirty years later, now Empress herself, she plays a crucial role in persuading another young woman—a rising star in the foreign ministry—to accept the marriage proposal of her son, the Crown Prince. The consequences are tragic and dramatic.
Told in the voice of Haruko, meticulously researched and superbly imagined, The Commoner is the mesmerizing, moving, and surprising story of a brutally rarified and controlled existence at once hidden and exposed, and of a complex relationship between two isolated women who, despite being visible to all, are truly understood only by each other. With the unerring skill of a master storyteller, John Burnham Schwartz has written his finest novel yet.
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About the Author
JOHN BURNHAM SCHWARTZ is the author of the novels Claire Marvel, Bicycle Days, and Reservation Road, which is being made into a film based on his screenplay, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Connelly. His work has been translated into fifteen languages, and has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times and The New Yorker. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner: A Novel
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The Commoner
Published by
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2008
ISBN 10: 0385515715
ISBN 13: 9780385515719
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
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Condition: Good. 1st. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP95626370
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The Commoner
Published by
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2008
ISBN 10: 0385515715
ISBN 13: 9780385515719
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. 1st. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 8485147-6