Pub Date: May 7, 2024
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Running Wild Press

Japan 1745 is a land under the iron grip of the Tokugawa shoguns. Roads are monitored, dissent stifled, and order maintained through blackmail and an extensive network of informers. Amid rumors of rebellion, Kurosawa Kinko–samurai and monk–is expelled in disgrace as the head music instructor of his Zen temple in Nagasaki. He begins an odyssey across Japan, dogged by agents and assassins from an unknown foe. Along his journey, Kinko encounters a compelling cast of merchants, ronin, courtesans, spies, warriors, hermits, and spirits, on a quest to redeem his honor. Inspired by the life of the historical Kurosawa Kinko (1710-1771), master of the shakuhachi flute and founder of the Kinko-ryu school, Song of the Samurai takes the reader on a richly-textured exploration of feudal Japan and the complexities of the human spirit.

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About the Author

Dr. C.A. Parker has spent a lifetime working at the intersection of spirituality and social justice, both as the Executive Director of several non-profit organizations and as a pastor. His doctoral work is in early Anglican spirituality, and he has spent many years exploring the commonalities between Christian and Buddhist contemplative traditions.

Dr. Parker has studied the Japanese flute — the shakuhachi — and the Japanese martial art of Aikido for over 25 years (in which he holds a second-degree black belt) and has spent time in Japan studying both disciplines, which he has also taught and are part of his own spiritual practice. He lives in Washington, DC, with his two creative children, and two rescued pets (a grumpy old dog named Chewbacca and a neurotic cat named Luna).