Koi Beni (Shunyo Bunko) [Light Novel]

[Machine Translation] Yu, the only daughter of Sasaya, a brothel in Yoshiwara, has been surrounded by prostitutes since she was a child. One day, Yu wanders into a crude playhouse in the Ryogoku district, and a traveling actor treats her kindly. The kindness of the actor, who surrounded Yuu in the pouring rain and filled her with loneliness and a sense of nowhere to go, left an indelible imprint on her young heart. Five years later, Yu's life begins to change drastically after a fateful encounter with the actor... This Naoki Prize-winning novel presents a detailed portrayal of a woman who tries to live out her life on the path she believes in, despite being tossed about by the hectic changes in the world from Edo at the end of the Edo period to Tokyo in the Meiji period.

吉原の遊女屋・笹屋の一人娘ゆうは、幼い頃から遊女たちに囲まれてきたが、大切に育てられたせいか吉原の風になじめずにいた。ある日、両国の盛り場で粗末な芝居小屋に迷い込んだゆうに、やさしく接してくれた旅役者。雨の降りしきるなか、行き場のない寂しさを包んでくれたやさしさは、ゆうの幼い心に刻み込まれた。それから五年、再びあの役者と運命的な出会いを果たしたゆうの人生は、大きく変わりはじめる...。幕末の江戸から明治の東京へ、世の慌ただしい変化に翻弄されつつも、信じた道を生き抜こうとする女性の姿を細やかに描く直木賞受賞作。