The art of the kimono
From Dreaming Spies:
There are many, many layers covering a Japanese woman, which goes far to explain the lack of heat in the houses. I doubt many women here managed without assistance, but I did not even try, merely stood with my arms out and let the maid push me around and bundle me like a doll.
When we first meet Mary Russell, back in The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, she is wearing one of her father’s old suits and a cloth cap. Clearly, that’s not going to do in Japan—or, not the whole time she’s in Japan—but she’s nothing if not a good sport, and she permits herself to be wrapped in garments that might have been specifically designed to keep a woman under tight (literally) control.
When Holmes walks in wearing the male equivalent of her formal garments, Russell does let slip a rather bitter comment. But she keeps it on anyway.
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7 days until Dreaming Spies! Other posts about writing and researching the book can be seen here, or you can read a long excerpt here.
You can pre-order a signed copy from Poisoned Pen Books or Bookshop Santa Cruz, and unsigned or e-books from Indiebooks, Amazon/Kindle, or Barnes & Noble/Nook.
My upcoming events are here.
Holmes always seems to luck out in these situations (or perhaps it’s men in general?). I’ll never forget Russell’s “blessing” to him after he had the hot bath in Jerusalem…