"The customs of all countries are strange to untrained eyes, and one of
the most interesting mysteries of my life here is my own gradual but
inevitable mental evolution."
-Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto, A Daughter of the Samurai (1926)
A Daughter of the Samurai (1926) by Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto is the
insightful account of the author's drastic change of culture from feudal
Japan to an arranged marriage in the United States. The story reveals
her assimilation to life as a merchant's wife and her return to Japan as
a widow and mother to two daughters. Sugimoto's keen observations of the
American way of life and its sharp contrast to her native Japan provide
a rich reading experience for anyone interested in gaining or deepening
their understanding of living in two different cultures.