Set under the skies of eighteenth-century Japan, Night Boat is a tale of fear, devotion and the power of the spirit against all odds

On the side of a mountain, in eighteenth century Japan, sits a man in perfect stillness as the summit erupts, spitting fire and molten rock onto the land around him. The man is Hakuin. He will become the world's most famous teacher of zen. This is not the first time he has seen hell.

Hakuin's quest for truth will call on him to defy his father, to face death, to find love and to lose it. He will ask, what is the sound of one hand clapping? And he will master his greatest fear. Night Boat is the story of his astonishing life.

"A remarkable, and remarkably fine, novel" - * Scotsman *

"Not merely an engaging and vivid historical novel, but also a meditative work of art that is as finely honed as a samurai's sword" - * The Times, on THE PURE LAND *

"Rattles along, grounded in historical research and filled with emotional truths" - * Daily Mail on THE PURE LAND *

"Astonishing in its breadth, depth and ambition . . . a beautifully written modern epic" - * Irish Independent on THE PURE LAND *