Claire Youmans first went to Japan in 1992 and was immediately captivated.  After years of travel and study, she continues to be charmed and amazed by a fascinating history and a culture that's both endearingly quirky and entirely unique. She is a retired lawyer who now lives in Tokyo. Her family, including her daughter and two grandsons, live in Seattle, USA.

In 2014, she started Tales of the Meiji Era with The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy's unparalleled blend of historical fantasy in the first book of the series, Coming Home.  She continues exploring the combination of history and folklore to share her love and fascination with a very different country and culture. 

Exciting adventures continue to unfold in this delightful fantastical yet historical world as social and political changes expand, technology explodes, and two very unusual children grow up.  



The Toki-Girl and the Sparrow-Boy

"Renko-san?" Azuki asked her friend. She tied the zukin-style kerchief they'd placed around Renko's fair hair to hide it. With Hanako's help, the girls had taken one of Azuki's old scarves and stiffened the front band, extending it out to shield the Dragon-girl's bright eyes. Since many farmers wore similar scarves for sun protection, extending the front band wasn't unusual, but they hadn't done it in the common style. They'd modified this scarf further to shield Renko's unusual eyes, so it looked more urban or religious than rural. Buddhist nuns, with their shaved heads, often wore similar scarves or veils, often with stiff extended fronts, too.


Chapter 161