Flowers by Night

Name: Flowers by Night
Brand: Findaway Voices
Availability: InStock
Author: Lucy May Lennox
ISBN: 9781094294742

Author: Lucy May Lennox

Narrator: Payton Huang

Unabridged: 10 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Lucy May Lennox

Published: 04/27/2021

Categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Lgbtq+

Synopsis

Japan, 1825: Low-ranking samurai Uchida Tomonosuke is a devotee of the way of manly love, but he has never pledged himself to another man. Until one day he accidentally crosses paths with Ichi, a beautiful blind masseur who challenges everything he thought he knew about love between men.Ichi is independent and confident, but his blindness means he is considered a non-person in the rigid social hierarchy. Tomonosuke is torn between his passion for this elegant young man, and the expectations of his rank. Not to mention his obligation to his unhappy wife, Okyo. But when betrayal and natural disasters strike, it is Ichi who holds the key to saving Tomonosuke's life.This vivid, meticulously researched novel depicts unconventional lives during the first half of the 19th century in Edo--the city that would become Tokyo. Step into a world in which the gay-straight binary doesn't exist, where androgyny in both men and women is celebrated. This thoroughly researched historical novel presents a realistic, deeply moving view of samurai, geisha, Japanese culture, and disability. It's also a steamy, explicit gay love story that knowingly bends the m-m romance genre.

Reviews

Goodreads review by ~Nicole~ on July 09, 2023

How could I have forgotten to rate this little gem of a book? Read this a while ago and it was incredibly interesting. Could have been better but still, its uniqueness and social & cultural depictions were stunning.......more

Goodreads review by Annabelle on December 20, 2020

This is such an amazing and well researched book! I felt transported back to this time period. But my favorite aspect was the romance. The relationship between a samurai and a masseuse was just so sweet and moving. Check this book out… You won’t regret it!......more

Goodreads review by Hemmel M. on July 09, 2023

This audiobook was interesting from the first untill the last word. I liked the story about 4 people ending up in 1 household. I had a hard time liking Tomonoke, him being weak, indecisive and self absorbed. The plot was realisticly meandering and all the details about Japan were well researched, ac......more

Goodreads review by Keshia on January 04, 2022

Excellent read. This was so well-researched and really does give you a glimpse into 19th century Japan. While I am versed in some of the cultural and historical nuances covered rather extensively in the book, it was only a glancing rudimentary knowledge so it was fascinating to read more in-depth on......more

Goodreads review by Pfotenstaben on February 01, 2021

This is such a wonderful read, and such a great tale. I fell in love with Tomonosuke and Ichi right away, both so well-rounded, well-written characters, and got invested in their relationship and their fate which doesn’t happen often for me. The secondary protagonists, Okyo and Ri, took a bit longer......more