Make the Dark Night Shine: A Zen Novel

Death appears imminent as the bombs of the German Blitz rain down on London. Former diplomat turned Zen priest, Kenzo Uchida writes a letter about war, family and never-ending love to Nina, the daughter he never met. In 1919, Kenzo and his partner Mitsu, Japanese diplomats, meet Elisa, a feisty Ukrainian cigarette girl in a nightclub in Constantinople. The unlikely trio begin an adventure leading to the decadence of post-war Paris until disaster strikes. Returning broken and alone to the growing militarism in Japan, Kenzo discovers an unexpected path in Zen Buddhism. A long-lost letter from Elisa breaks his quiet reflection by revealing that he has a daughter who is now 16. As Kenzo embarks on a perilous secret mission to meet Nina, with the breakout of World War II, he is worried that he will be thwarted by the Japanese military . But what plans does Elisa have for Kenzo? Will the letter to Nina ever arrive? Cinematic in scope, Make the Dark Night Shine lyrically captures the world on the brink of war. As Kenzo builds — and fights for — his chosen family, larger forces threaten all. Sweeping, meditative, and achingly beautiful, Make the Dark Night Shine explores the many worlds a life can inhabit, and the hidden worlds we find in ourselves. Gold Medal Winner, Literary TitanSilver Medal for LGBT Fiction, Global Book Awards Read more