In a small diary, a young courtesan of the Heian period gives her account of the Japanese courts of the day, providing perspective on a unique time in Japanese history. A contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, the author of <i>The Tale of Genji</i>, Sei Sho-nagon's commentary brings an added dimension to that timeless and seminal work. --<b><i>Svetlana's Reads and Views</i> blog</b>