Kyoto, Japan, 1948. Little Nori is safely hidden from prying eyes. For many years she lives in the house of a wayward grandmother, who sees in her only an illegitimate heiress. Nori does not know love. She endures bleaching baths burning her skin. Nori has no choice, because she needs to fit in with the Kamiza imperial family. But one day her half-brother Akira appears on the doorstep of the house. The talented and handsome Akira sees in Nori not a shameful spot, but a frightened girl. To separate them, grandparents are ready to do anything, even sell Nori to a geisha house. The girl who should be silent will learn to speak. Even when the price of freedom is pain, the light inside Nori does not go out, but becomes stronger, illuminating everything around. “A heartbreaking story of love and loss.” – Kristin Hannah “Time flies when you read this book, but the story it tells stays with you for a long time.” – Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate “A poignant historical novel about the fate of an illegitimate young woman in post-war Japan, about the power of tradition, the power of friendship and the price of freedom.” – Anahit Grigoryan, author of the novel “Octopus”