The Sweetest Fruits

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A Greek woman recounts her journey from her father's restrictive home to marrying an Irish officer in the British Army, arriving in Ireland with her young son in 1852, only to be forced to leave him behind. An African American woman, born into slavery on a Kentucky plantation, escapes to Cincinnati after the Civil War to work as a boarding house cook, where she meets and marries an aspiring newspaper reporter in 1872. In Matsue, Japan, in 1891, the daughter of a former samurai encounters a newly arrived English teacher, becoming the mother of his four children and his literary collaborator. The experiences of these women provide insight into the life of Lafcadio Hearn, a globetrotting writer renowned for his works on Meiji-era Japan. Each woman, in her unique way, is an intrepid traveler and storyteller, sharing her narrative to reflect not only Hearn's remarkable life but also her own struggles and resilience against the constraints of gender, race, and societal norms. Their voices together create a complex and revealing portrait of Hearn, showcasing their tenacity and quest for love, family, home, and belonging, all illuminated with brilliant sensitivity and an unflinching perspective.