Kindred Spirits -- A Novel

Imagine reconnecting with a long-lost kin: A harried university professor in Tokyo struggles with a personal tragedy in the midst of creative stasis. How can he cope with his grief? He retreats into daydreams about Heian Japan. In order to introduce aspects of the past to his ultra-trendy contemporary generation, he formulates an acculturation project exemplifying Old Japan's cultural values. Identifying the most suitable candidate for his experiment was just the first of a multitude of hurdles.
As the months proceed, his research evolves into an unexpected East-West relationship that is basically one-sided. Nonetheless, the teacher and student share a variety of literary, philosophical and spiritual pursuits, all based on a solid historical foundation of the Late Heian Period. Will the complexities of the project and his psychological hang-ups consume him in the end?