As an Okinawan-born author, Kathleen Robison brings a flavor of authenticity that’s so important to novels and novellas set in a foreign country. Because my own son lived in Japan for several years, I have a fondness for this beautiful country. In Kathleen’s Keeping Christmas novella, we are taken to the ancient land of shoji screens and tatami mats, where Ariko finds the stone ruins of Morioka Castle, and the mysterious cross that holds the secret of a Christian faith extending far deeper than Ariko ever imagined.
He explained the castle kitchen history, but his emphasis was on the cross. “The Castle Kitchen Cross, as I call it on my blog, is where an ex-samurai and his wife practiced their faith and shared it secretly with those who came to the kitchen. The cross carved in the stone, although obscured, was hidden behind pots and pans hanging on the wall.”
Ariko’s ears perked when he mentioned ex-samurai.
More from Kathleen: Morioka Castle in Japan is a park of ruins, but what glorious ruins they are. In, 1632, after twenty years of construction, the castle was completed by the Nanbu, a well-known Samurai clan. Sadly, two-hundred and fifty years later, as the age of the Samurai came to a close, the magnificent structure was demolished. Though no structures remain intact, the grounds leave me in serene awe. It’s one of my favorite places in Japan. As I walked throughout the park, the walls spoke. Magnificent, black granite blocks rising to dizzying heights. My story-mind took hold, and I tucked away my thoughts. Now eight years later, I had the opportunity to put my imagination to work, as in modern-day, Ariko discovers the cross in the kitchen, and wonders as to the conflict it may have caused in her ancestral, Japanese family. Take the journey to Japan, where the ancient is no so far away.
Kathleen J. Robison is an Okinawan-American, born in Okinawa, and raised in California, Florida, Mississippi, and Singapore. Her travels and her family are the sources of her inspiration for her books. Kathleen and her Pastor husband have eight adult children. Seven are married, blessing them with eighteen grandchildren and counting. Her ethnically diverse background extends to her family of currently thirty-five personalities which provide many opportunities to share God’s amazing love amidst the challenges of real life. Visit her website to connect with her and learn about her books.
For a limited time, you can receive the ebook version of Keeping Christmas, Volume 1 for the preorder price of only .99 cents. If you would like the paperback collection, Celebrate Lit Publishing is offering 30% and free shipping.
