<DIV>The story of two women whose lives intersect in late nineteenth century Japan, <i>The Teahouse Fire</i> is also a portrait of one of the most fascinating places and times in all of history-Japan as it opens its doors to the West. Told through the enchanting and unforgettable voice of Aurelia, an American orphan adopted by proprietors of a tea ceremony school, this is "a magisterial novel that is equal parts love story, imaginative history and bildungsroman, a story as alluring as it is powerful" (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>, starred review).<BR><BR></DIV>