The Confessions of Lady Nijo
One of the oldest books in print by a woman,Confessions of Lady Nijocontains the thoughts, reflections, and poetry of an opinionated Japanese Imperial court concubine, covering the years 1271 to 1306. Writing in diary form towards the end of her life, Lady Nijo chronicles her past life in the Imperial court, where her strong personality and aspirations for a higher position provoked the jealousy of the Empress and caused her dismissal; her travels throughout the country as a Buddhist nun; and her development into a mature and compassionate woman. Whether she is commenting on fashion and personalities at court or coming to understand the lives of the lower-caste, Lady Nijo's reflections show that while much may change in seven hundred years, there is much more that does not. There are births and deaths, marriages and affairs, richness and poverty. Her writing is beautiful and often touching: "The snow covered peaks glowing against the faintly dawning sky gave an unearthly aspect to the scene. Two or three attendants dressed in plain robes accompanied him. I was sad, unbearably sad, when he left." Read this book for its history and intimacy, its feelings of familiarity and difference, its joy and sadness that reach across centuries and continents.-- For great reviews of books for girls, check outLet's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. --From500 Great Books by Women; review by Holly Smith