Waiting on Wednesday: THE PRINTMAKER'S DAUGHTER by Katherine Govier

"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"

is hosted by Jill from

Breaking the Spine.

Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?

My pick for this week is . . .

THE PRINTMAKER'S DAUGHTER

by Katherine Govier

Pub. Date: November 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback , 512pp  

ISBN-13: 9780062000361

ISBN: 0062000365

Description (from the publisher):

The legendary printmaker Hokusai created Japan’s best-known image, "The Great Wave"—but the story of his daughter Oei comes to life for the first time in this vivid historical novel, combining scholarly detective work and a daring narrative that shines fresh light on issues of authorship, duty, and the tender and inscrutable bond between a father and daughter.

Recounting the story of her life, Oei plunges us into the colorful world of 19th-century Edo, in which courtesans rub shoulders with poets, artists consort with warriors, and the arts flourish in an unprecedented moment of creative foment—all despite a repressive political regime. Oei and Hokusai live amongst actors, novelists, tattoo artists, and prostitutes, evading the Shogunate's spies. Her father journeys to gather visual references for his evolving masterpiece, "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." Wielding her brush, Oei rejects the typical pursuit of domesticity in favor of dedication to the arts. She defies all expectations of womanhood. All but one—a dutiful daughter to the last, she will obey the will of her eccentric father, the man who created her and who, ultimately, will rob her of her future.

"Lavishly researched and brilliant. . . . Govier astonishes throughout in her ability to write epic themes intimately, particularly in the lyrical, absorbing, and intense final hundred pages.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Click here to visit the author's website.

About the author (from the publisher):

Katherine Mary Govier (born July 4, 1948) is a Canadian novelist. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, she was educated at the University of Alberta and York University. In 1997, she was awarded the Marian Engel Award for a woman writer in mid-career. Prior to that she was shortlisted for the Trillium Award in 1994, and won the City of Toronto Book Award in 1992. She has been made a Distinguished Alumna of the University of Alberta and is one of York University's "Famous Fifty" graduates. She has been Chair of the Writers' Trust of Canada and President of PEN Canada. Her novel CREATION was a New York Times Notable Book of 2003. Govier lives in Toronto, Ontario with her partner Nicholas Rundall. She has two children, Robin and Emily Honderich.