Includes bibliographical references and index.

This is the true story of an extraordinary love affair. In 1904, British Army officer Arthur Hart-Synnot was sent to Japan to learn the language. Arthur met Masa Suzuki at the Officers' Club and was immediately smitten. Masa had grown up among shopkeepers and craftsmen in working-class of Tokyo. She had left school at age fourteen to work and was a dutiful Japanese daughter. But her feelings for Arthur were so powerful that she was willing to risk her family's disapproval to be with him. This book follows their attempts to make a life together and chronicles the racial prejudice and social snobbery they encountered. Separated for years at a time, they stayed in touch through long, deeply affectionate letters. The authors use this treasure trove of more than eight hundred letters to tell a story of enduring love and great loss.--From publisher description.