The Temple of the Wild Geese and the Bamboo Dolls of Echizen

The Temple of the Wild Geese, a semi-autobiographical account of Mizukami's childhood, tells the tale of Jinen, a Buddhist monk raised by villagers after his mother, a beggar, abandoned him. Sent to live at a temple at the age of ten, his resentment smolders for years until it explodes in a shocking climax.
In Bamboo Dolls of Echizen, no woman is wiling to marry the diminutive Kisuke, a bamboo artisan, until Tamae, a prostitute, comes to pay her respects at the grave of Kisuke's father. In Tamae, Kisuke sees shadows of his own mother, who died when he was young, and the two eventually marry. Since Kisuke seeks only motherly affection from Tamae, the two never become lovers. Instead, Tamae devotes herself to caring for Kisuke as a mother would, and he thrives as a renowned maker of bamboo dolls.

Tsutomu Mizukami (1919–2004) was born in the Fukui Prefecture of Japan. As a child, he was sent by his parents to work and live in a temple in Kyoto. After leaving the temple, Mizukami studied literature at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, and later became an apprentice to Uno Koji, under whose tutelage he wrote his first book, a bestseller. Apopular and prolific Japanese author of novels, detective stories, biographies, and plays, Mizukami was also awarded several awards and prizes, including the Naoki Prize for The Temple of the Wild Geese.