The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama (1996, Paperback)

This is one of those slice of life novels that must be savored slowly to appreciate the nuance of character. There is no "big" plot. Stephen, the son of a wealthy Chinese businessman and his wife, is sent to the family beach house at Tarumi in Japan to recover from a bout of tuberculosis. His presence on the island is at first seemingly resented by the long-term house manager, Matsu, but their relationship evolves as Stephen begins to open himself up to more than superficial experiences. Of particular note are Matsu's longterm love for the leprosy-afflicted Satchi. There story, the tragic death of Matsu's sister, Temoko, and the love triangle including Matsu's best friend, Kenzo, are all part of a rich tapestry of love and loss and survival. Subplots include the invasion of China by the Japanese Imperial forces in the late 1930's predating the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This has the effect of increasing tensions between Chinese and Japanese as Stephen's love life is complicated in his love for a Japanese island girl, Keiko. There are themes of duty, loyalty and honor that always seem to ring truest in these studies of Far Eastern culture. This is a very slow book, with gradual character development and an evolving sense of the beauty of every day life under even the most horrible of circumstances.