
The work opens with a tender meditation on memory and longing, setting a tone that blends vivid landscape description with intimate human stories. Through poetic sketches of bamboo groves, fluttering butterflies, and mist‑cloaked rivers, the author invites listeners to wander the gardens of China and Japan as if they were painted with silk and ink. The language is lyrical yet grounded, capturing both the grandeur of ancient scenery and the quiet moments of everyday life.
In the heart of the book, a young woman from a modest village on the banks of the Yang‑tze dares to cross the boundaries of her world. Disguised as a man, she gains entry to the empire’s most renowned university, forming a deep bond with a fellow scholar who remains unaware of her true identity. Their shared studies, sleepless nights, and the inevitable farewell weave a poignant portrait of ambition, friendship, and the ache of unspoken love, all set against the backdrop of a culture steeped in tradition.
Language
pt
Duration
~4 hours (238K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Rita Farinha and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by National Library of Portugal (Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal)).
Release date
2008-05-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1854–1929
Drawn to Japan long before most Portuguese readers knew much about it, this sailor-turned-writer turned his years abroad into vivid books about daily life, longing, and cultural encounter. His work blends travel writing, memoir, and reflection with an unusually intimate view of Japan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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