In this eloquent and wholly absorbing memoir, the renowned scholar Donald Keene shares more than half a century of his extraordinary adventures as a student of Japan. Keene begins with an account of his bittersweet childhood in New York; he then describes his initial encounters with Asia and Europe and the way in which his role as a Navy interpreter complicated that experience during World War II. He captures the sights, scents, and sounds of Japan as they first enveloped him and writes of his postwar travels and the well-known intellectuals who later shaped his academic career. A fascinating tale of two cultures colliding, "Chronicles of My Life" is also a thrilling account of the emotions and experiences that connect us all, regardless of our individual origins.

Donald Keene. Illustrated by Akira Yamaguchi