Set on a Dutch trading post built on an artificial island off the coast by Nagasaki, David Mitchell's novel explores what brings us together and what separates us in our cultures, morals and choices. On the surface a straightforward chronological narrative of the first years spent in the East by a young Dutch clerk, Mitchell explores darker stories of corruption, exploitation and cruelty embedded in both Japanese and European men and women. A gripping thriller, a poignant love story and an exploration of friendship and enmity, this is a beautifully written book.

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