Rje, as the sole heir of the House of Omura, a venerable family, is married to to a husband choosen for her by her parents. She must put aside her own interests to advance those of the family. In a stict, male-dominated society she may not enter the brewery and is expected to raise her husband's children by a geisha so that they can eventually run the family business. With cunning, courage and skill she confronts every obstacle and forges a dynasty. ( )

This was a very good story, and reading how the book came to be, made it all the more wrorthwhile. I was shocked at the ruthlessness shown by Rie in her business choices and then surprised that I wasn't taken aback by the same hardness with the family. It all ran together and wove a groundbreaking story for her time that was full of scandle. ( )

Japan is my passion and I have 400+ books about that country. I was disappointed by this book. The characters seem "wooden", I didn't learn enough about them for them to be sympathetic. The story takes place during the transition from Edo era Japan to Meiji - a time of extreme turmoil, change in culture, political systems, etc - I wanted to learn more about how this change would affect the people living thru it. ( )

This book is about a family dynasty, Japanese style. The Omura family have been sake brewers for generations. Women are not allowed into the brewery for fear their presence will sour the sake. Sole heir, young Rie is forced to turn the business to the philanderer she has been forced to marry and whose children by other women she is expected to raise. But Rie is not ready to give up the fight and follow her mother's advice to "kill the self" in order to bear the demands the strict Japanese society places on a woman. The book presented tidbits regarding the rules of family and the sake brewing industry in Japan. It follows Rie and her family in an evolving world, such as the impact of the Euopeans. If you enjoy intergenerational books about families, you will find this one interesting. ( )

Rie, the main character in The Scent of Sake, is a combination of a woman seeking the chance to find her own destiny and a woman who is passionately attached to her family’s long tradition of producing sake. She is very proud of her family’s sake brewing heritage and their business success. However, as a woman she is not allowed to enter the brewery because of the superstition that a female’s presence will spoil the brewing sake.

Rie gives up her desire for a marriage based on love and as a dutiful daughter complies with her family’s wishes and marries the man her parents have chosen for her. If Rie cannot put love first in her life she chooses to put the family sake business first. Rie’s choices in life are a combination of tradition and a non-traditional woman who seeks power in the business world and who is willing to take innovative risks to further her family’s wealth and position. It is interesting to watch Rie, who suffered so much from her loveless marriage, work so hard to impose marriages with the same basis onto her children and grandchildren all for the preservation of the family and the family business.

The author, Joyce Lerbra is a scholar of Japanese history and culture. Her knowledge gives an authenticity to this fictional story. Rie’s lifespan covers the turbulent times from the downfall of the power of the shoguns to the Meiji Restoration and the opening of Japan to trade with America and Europe. Therefore, the reader can enjoy this story for its adventure and romance or its historical setting. The list of characters at the beginning of the book is helpful to the reader in keeping track of the various characters in the book.

Overall I enjoyed this book because I like well documented historical fiction and stories of non-traditional women. However, I kept wanting a richer description of Rie’s world as a child so that I could better emphasize with her strong attachment to her family’s world of sake brewing. ( )