THE FALLEN WARRIOR

In Sofianiuc’s novel, an in-home nurse takes on a challenging case caring for a fierce but injured warrior who’s infamously bull-headed.

In an unspecified time and place, Saori Matsuda is happy for a chance to be Master Jin Fujimura’s nurse. She really needs the money and willingly takes the job despite rumors of countless previous nurses quitting or being fired. These include her friend, who describes a rude and frankly insufferable patient (“at one point, Master Jin took the bowl of soup she had given him and threw it in her direction”). Master Jin, once a celebrated commander general, is now visibly weak and walks with a cane. He spends his days training soldiers, doesn’t think he needs a nurse, and tries his best to force Saori into giving up, resorting to measures like refusing to sit still for a blood pressure check or insulting her. Former war nurse Saori, however, doesn’t scare easily, and she focuses on providing the best care possible, including a treatment to fix his broken leg, which hasn’t healed properly. Soon, tension with the stubborn warrior eases up, and the two grow closer than either of them could have anticipated—but menaces from each of their lives threaten to stir up trouble. Sofianiuc’s character-driven tale effectively charts a burgeoning relationship. Master Jin begins the story as a deplorable man who, at one point, initiates a “game” with his soldiers that ostensibly puts Saori in danger. The strong-willed nurse shows how rewarding patience can be, giving Master Jin the opportunity to allow his more pleasant true self to come out. Both characters have absorbing backstories, and the understated potential romance that develops between them is a convincing and organic turn. The author’s unadorned prose skimps on certain details (such as specifics regarding the setting and time period) but delivers prolonged, worthwhile conversations. Unfortunately, grammatical and typographical mistakes abound, all of which are distracting and occasionally render sentences baffling.

Alluring characters enrich a sublime melodrama that’s marred by some superficial flaws.