Shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009.
Straddling the civil war in Japan in the mid-19th century, this is the story of an adopted girl, Sachi, who rises to be the chief concubine of the Shogun. The ladies of the court are protected from the extraordinary upheavals in the country but eventually the palace is destroyed and the ladies scattered. There is a lot of history here, particularly social, which one would expect from this author who has written many books about Japan and its culture. This is her first novel.
Comparison: Arthur Golden, Anchee Min, Lisa See.

How do you fall in love when your society has no word for it? The Last Concubine is an epic love story closely based on historical events, chronicling 19th century Japan’s extraordinary change from a medieval to a modern country. This is the story of a shogun, a princess and the three thousand women of the women’s palace - all of whom really existed - and of the civil war that brought their way of life to an end ...
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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How do you fall in love when your society has no word for it? The Last Concubine is an epic love story closely based on historical events, chronicling 19th century Japan’s extraordinary change from a medieval to a modern country.
The Last Concubine features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, eBooks of the Month, Debut Books of the Month, Romance / Relationship Stories, Fiction, Recommendations
Paperback, Hardback. £16.19, down from the £17.99 cover price. Print on Demand / Special Order.
The Last Concubine was written by Lesley Downer and published by Transworld Publishers Ltd
The Last Concubine has 622 pages
£16.19, reduced from £17.99. Print on Demand / Special Order.