Through the failed mission of Western priests who in the seventeenth century tried to evangelize Japan, Endo proposes a subtle reflection on the fundamental values ​​of the Christian faith. When the work was published in Japan it was the subject of passionate controversy, won the prestigious Tanizaki award, was considered the best novel of the year and in a short time had sold millions of copies. Today it is considered Endo's most important novel and a fundamental piece to explain certain paths taken by the Japanese narrative of our days.

Shusaku Endo is one of the great contemporary classics of Japanese literature. After graduating in French literature from the University of Kio, he studied for three years in Lyon on a scholarship from the Japanese government. Belonging to the so-called "third generation", his work stands out for recreating the experiences and reflecting the life of the Catholic minority in Japan, with particular sensitivity to explore the great moral dilemmas that his characters face.