by Herb Tanimoto (Author)
Okei was a 17-year-old girl living in Aizu, Japan during the tumultuous time of the Boshin Civil War. With her world rapidly disintegrating around her, her fate became even more uncertain when her neighbor, Prussian arms merchant and samurai, John Henry Schnell, asked her to go to America with him to help his wife care for their infant child. Okei reluctantly agreed, as a matter of duty and honor to her family, her Lord, and her domain. In this historic novel, Herb Tanimoto weaves a compelling and heartfelt story into the known facts about the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony. A docent and archivist at the historic farm, the author uses historical resources and recollections from Veerkamp family descendants to bring to life a tale of hope, love, suspense, honor, retribution, exultation and disappointment.
Author Biography
Herb Tanimoto is a third generation (Sansei) Japanese American. After 36 years in the medical field, he retreated to a forested area of Northern California to spend time with his cats. His love of history and writing coalesced when the organization he volunteered for acquired the historic Veerkamp farm and the site of the first Japanese colony in North America. The story of "Keiko's Kimono" came to him as a revelation, imploring to be written. He often wondered if Keiko herself had been speaking to him.