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

"Here we have the big boulder that blocks the main cave entrance," Renko said. It was so hard to manage communication when she couldn't just project pictures. It wasn't that long ago when she didn't know how do that, she recalled. It had been her father's idea, but now that she could do it, she could hardly remember doing without it.


"Use her majesty as a relay," Noriko suggested. "If you can talk to her and she can talk to us perhaps the pictures can transmit.


"Both of us," said Ryuujin. "Use us both."


"Can you tell which way is north?" Yuta asked. "You can orient us that way."


"I think..." Renko scrunched her eyes shut and tried to remember entering the cave.


"West," Otohime said. "The lake is on the west. Irtysh and I were flying northeast when I heard you call, Sister. You were just off to my right. That means the cave entrance was on the west side of the cliff."


Chapter 178