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The Pearl Diver

Published
Apr 2005
Main Genre
General Fiction General Fiction
Rating
Pages
256

About This Book

In 1948, a nineteen-year-old pearl diver's dreams of spending her life combing the waters of Japan's Inland Sea are shattered when she discovers she has leprosy. By law, she is exiled to an island leprosarium, where she is stripped of her dignity and instructed to forget her past. Her name is erased from her family records, and she is forced to select a new one. To the two thousand patients on the island of Nagashima, she becomes Miss Fuji.

Although drugs arrest the course of Miss Fuji's disease, she cannot leave the colony. Instead, she becomes a caretaker to the other patients, and through the example of their courage, she gains insight into the deep wellspring of strength she will need to reclaim her freedom. Written with precision and eloquence, The Pearl Diver is a dazzling meditation on isolation and community, cruelty and compassion.

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Formats & Editions

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Paperback

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Trade Paperback
First Edition Apr 2005 Anchor ISBN 1400034914
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Hardcover

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Hardcover
Apr 2004 Nan A. Talese ISBN 0385510519
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Hardcover
Apr 2005 Turtleback Books ISBN 060633548X
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eBook

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eBook
Dec 2007 Knopf ISBN 0307429148
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eBook
Dec 2007 Anchor ISBN B000XUBGAU
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Audio

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Audio Cassette
Apr 2004 Recorded Books ISBN 1402572778
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Audio Cassette
Dec 2004 Recorded Books ISBN 1402586612
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Audible
Dec 2008 Recorded Books ISBN B001OELZO6
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