Title: The Teahouse Fire
Author: Ellis Avery
First published January 1, 2000
391 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9781594489303 (ISBN10: 1594489300)
Rating: 3.48
Overview
“The Teahouse Fire” by Ellis Avery is a captivating tale of two women who cross paths during Japan’s transformation in the late 1800s. Through the eyes of Aurelia, an American orphan taken in by the Shin family, we witness Japan’s shift towards Western ideas, the rise of political tensions, and the evolution of the sacred tea ceremony into a battleground.
As Aurelia becomes Yukako’s closest companion, they navigate the challenges and uncertainties of a rapidly changing society. With lush details and a captivating voice, this historical novel is a must-read for anyone interested in Japan’s fascinating past.”
About the Author
Ellis Avery is a talented author who has been honored with the American Library Association Stonewall Award for Fiction not once, but twice. Her body of work includes two novels, a memoir, and a book of poetry.
Both of her novels, The Last Nude and The Teahouse Fire, have received multiple awards, including the Lambda, Ohioana, and Golden Crown awards. Her writing has been translated into six different languages, making her work accessible to a wide audience.
Avery grew up in Columbus, Ohio and Princeton, New Jersey. She was initially drawn to high fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien and Ursula K.
LeGuin, but later became enamored with the lush specificity of Annie Dillard and Virginia Woolf. Her academic interests led her to pursue an independent major in Performance Studies at Bryn Mawr College, where she graduated in 1993.
After college, Avery worked for queer youth organizations in San Francisco and earned her MFA in Writing from Goddard College’s low residency program.
Avery settled in New York in 1997, where she met her partner, Sharon Marcus. The events of September 11th, 2001 inspired Avery to write her first book, The Smoke Week, a personal account of the attacks and their aftermath.
Her first novel, The Teahouse Fire, required extensive research, including five years of studying Japanese language and tea ceremony, as well as seven months in Kyoto. Avery’s love of Paris in the 1920s led her to write her second novel, The Last Nude, which pays homage to Sylvia Beach, founder of Shakespeare and Company bookshop and publisher of Ulysses, as well as the Art Deco imagery of Tamara de Lempicka.
Today, Avery teaches fiction writing at Columbia University and from her home in the West Village.
Editoral Review
The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery is a beautifully written novel that transports readers to 19th century Japan, exploring themes of identity, tradition, and cultural exchange. Avery, who passed away in 2019, was a talented writer and professor, known for her work in both fiction and non-fiction.
The Teahouse Fire is a historical fiction novel, set in the late 19th century during Japan’s Meiji Restoration period. The story follows the life of a young American girl named Aurelia, who is taken in as a servant by a Japanese family after a devastating earthquake destroys her family’s home.
Through Aurelia’s eyes, readers are introduced to the world of Japanese tea ceremonies and the intricate customs and traditions that surround them.
Avery’s writing is exquisite, and she has a talent for bringing the setting and characters to life with vivid detail. The novel is full of rich descriptions of Japanese culture, from the ornate kimonos worn by the characters to the delicate art of tea-making.
Avery’s prose is both lyrical and accessible, making the novel a pleasure to read.
The Teahouse Fire is more than just a beautifully written novel, however. It also explores some important cultural and historical issues.
The novel provides an intimate look at Japan’s Meiji Restoration, a time of great change and upheaval in Japanese society. Avery’s portrayal of the clashes between traditional and modern culture is nuanced and thought-provoking, and her exploration of identity and belonging is both poignant and relevant to contemporary readers.
One of the novel’s strengths is its complex and well-developed characters. Aurelia is a sympathetic and relatable protagonist, struggling to find her place in a society that is very different from her own.
The Japanese family who take her in are also richly drawn, with each member having their own motivations and desires.
The pacing of the novel is slow and deliberate, which may not be to everyone’s taste. However, the languid pace is appropriate for the subject matter, and it allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in the world of the novel.
One criticism of the novel is that it can be overly descriptive at times. Avery’s attention to detail is admirable, but there are moments where the descriptions can feel excessive and slow down the narrative.
Overall, The Teahouse Fire is a stunning piece of historical fiction that is sure to captivate readers. Its exploration of Japanese culture and identity is both timely and timeless, and its beautifully crafted prose is a joy to read.
I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in historical fiction, Japanese culture, or simply looking for a beautifully written and engaging read.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
