It goes without saying this book is masterfully written. The characters are rich and diverse, each with his or her own unique voice. The description invokes the senses, so much so that the reader feels he or she is right there in historical Japan. Unfortunately, however, the book didn't always hold my interest, and I found the point-of-view (POV) character changes jarring. The reader spends the first chunk of the book seeing the world from Jacob's POV, and then suddenly we're thrust into another character's mind (Orito). Granted, it's an intriguing mind, but I didn't feel her story was adequately finished before switching to yet more POV characters, one as far as on page 326. To try to identify with a new character this far into a novel is asking a lot of a reader. I was so tied up in the previous character's tale, that I didn't want to let go and enter another's. Yes, things get tied up together in the end, but not really in the way I would have liked. I certainly recommend the book for fans of historical fiction, but be prepared for some confusion along the way.