A Daughter of the Samurai: Foreword by John Harrison

“A bridge between worlds, told with grace, wit, and quiet strength.”First published in 1925, A Daughter of the Samurai is the luminous memoir of Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto, born into an aristocratic Japanese samurai family and later sent to America for an arranged marriage. What unfolds is a powerful and tender account of cross-cultural transformation—one that explores womanhood, tradition, identity, and the often humorous, sometimes painful, negotiations of living between two vastly different worlds.Through vivid storytelling, Sugimoto contrasts the disciplined elegance of old Japan with the restless energy of early 20th-century America. Along the way, she offers keen observations of gender roles, social expectations, and the quiet resilience required to live a life shaped by duty, love, and personal conviction.Blending memoir, cultural reflection, and sharp humor, A Daughter of the Samurai remains a timeless exploration of belonging and becoming. It is a story for anyone who has ever stood at the threshold of two homes, two selves, or two cultures—and wondered how to hold them both.Perfect for readers of memoir, feminist literature, and cross-cultural history, this edition includes a new foreword by John Harrison and is published by House of Harrison Presents. Read more