The Scent of Sake by Joyce Lebra

From the Publisher

She was taught to submit, to obey . . . but she dreamed of an empire.

The sole heir to the House of Omura, a venerable family of Kobe sake brewers, nineteen-year-old Rie hears but cannot heed her mother's advice: that in nineteenth-century Japan, a woman must "kill the self" or her life will be too difficult to bear. In this strict, male-dominated society, women may not even enter the brewery—and repressive tradition demands that Rie turn over her family's business to the inept philanderer she's been forced to marry. She is even expected to raise her husband's children by another woman—a geisha—so that they can eventually run the Omura enterprise.

But Rie's pride will not allow her to relinquish what is rightfully hers. With courage, cunning, brilliance, and skill, she is ready to confront every threat that arises before her—from prejudice to treachery to shipwrecks to the insidious schemes of relentless rivals—in her bold determination to forge a magnificent dynasty...and to, impossibly, succeed.

An epic and breathtaking saga that spans generations as it sweeps through the heart of a century, Joyce Lebra's The Scent of Sake is a vivid and powerful entry into another world...and an unforgettable portrait of a woman who would not let that world defeat her.

Marika Zemke - Library Journal

Nonfiction author, scholar, and novelist Lebra (The Indian National Army and Japan) uses her expertise in Japanese history and culture to transport the reader to 1830s Japan in her latest novel, which centers on the life of Rie Omura, the young daughter of a successful sake brewer. Rie, like the other women of the male-dominated feudal society, has no rights and is expected to obey all the men of her household. Lebra captures the harshness of Rie's life, making visceral the heaviness of the sake barrels as she scrubs them clean in the frigid Japanese winter. Readers will become absorbed in the culture as the author describes the pervasive superstitions of 19th-century Japan; for example, women were not allowed to come near the brewery because it was believed they would pollute the sake. Based on historical records, this book is reminiscent of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha in its combining a portrait of Japanese culture with the harshness of a Dickens novel. Recommended for all libraries.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School

"Personal feelings have little to do with marriage," Rie is told by her mother as they discuss her impending nuptials. "Women often find it necessary to 'kill the self.'" Rie is disappointed to discover that, indeed, she must do that to survive her marriage to Jihei, a philanderer who cannot live up to the expectation that he will run the family sake business. Nineteenth-century Japanese mores do not allow a strong woman to participate in business, but Rie; her faithful clerk, Kinnosuke; and her children build the "house" by taking risks, overcoming adversity, and defying tradition. All bend to Rie's will and behind-the-scenes business acumen. The story is rich in plot, but Rie herself is shallow. She hurts many people on her way to the top and only takes a few moments of thought before moving on to the next event. Tragedies occur but she feels none with gravity. Despite the protagonist's weaknesses, this story gives a compelling look at one woman's life and the business of brewing sake during a time when Japan was being forced to open up to the larger world. For those interested in this country, or who want to read about a strong woman during a time of repression, this is an interesting read, and it is not compromised by the leading lady's lack of introspection.-Connie Williams, Kenilworth Jr. High, Petaluma, CA

Kirkus Reviews

Debut novel about the multiple generations of a sake-brewing Japanese family. Rie has always been more concerned with her Omura family's White Tiger sake brewing business than with the traditional feminine roles of the household. In mid-19th century Japan, she is an uncommon woman, with steely business logic and a sense of duty to her family's business that trumps all other obligations. When the story opens, Rie is a young woman of 19, suddenly betrothed to a clerk in an arranged marriage. Unlike Rie's parents, Rie and her husband Jihei never become companions, and Jihei spends more and more of his nights at the geisha houses in town, wasting money and drinking copiously. Rie focuses on the business while Jihei philanders, and she is soon forced to adopt the child Jihei fathers with the geisha he patronizes. More important than familial love is establishing an heir to White Tiger and expanding the company, so Rie shrewdly begins strategizing ways to leverage her offspring-those that have her blood and those that don't. As the Omura empire grows and White Tiger becomes the No. 1 sake in Japan, Rie lords over the house a cold matriarch. A subplot involving Rie and her true love, who she can never be with, initially shows Rie's softer side, but it's soon cast aside as the narrative rolls along. Rie's mercurial personality is overbearing. There are profound conflicts and complicated relationships that are not duly explored, and without a deeper investigation into the Omura house, the reader is left on the outside looking in, apathetic and bored. The many generations and historical facts could be compelling, but sadly, there is no love in this book, which is as dry as the sake it describes. Adecent plot that lacks soul. Agent: Natasha Kern/Natasha Kern Literary Agency

Product Details