Reviews
Laura Nenzi is a meticulous historian. She has painstakingly explored the rich archive that Tokiko left after her death in 1890 . . . microhistorical research by scholars such as Nenzi--our "chronicler who narrates events without distinguishing between major and minor ones" and who so sensibly and accurately recreates life at the margins of "big history"--has in itself the potential to bring back to life the past and all the promises that are not yet realized. I strongly recommend this book at the margins of big history., Nenzi has taken great pains to justify this account of Tokiko's life. . . . The Chaos and Cosmos of Kurosawa Tokiko would be a great text for an undergraduate Japanese history course, providing students with a case study of how different historiographical themes converge in the life of one individual., This is a fascinating and illuminating account of the travails of a poet, prognosticator, and educator from rural Japan who was compelled by cosmic signs and rational analysis of contemporary events towards extraordinary political activism at a crucial moment towards the end of the Tokugawa (1600-1868) era. . . . . a careful reading will reward anyone interested in fringe political activism and identity construction (gender, local, national) at a critical juncture in the modern history of an important nation-state.
