When Osamu, a poor, unmarried sail maker, nurses an injured crane back to health, his life changes forever. After the crane has flown away, a beautiful woman appears on his doorstep. Osamu is overjoyed as they fall in love and marry. But when he discovers his wife's mysterious talent for making sails, greed and ambition replace compassion, and Osamu throws away all his newfound happiness. The retelling of a Japanese folktale is heartbreaking but never heavy handed. Gorgeous paintings capture the mood and the medieval Japanese setting.

"A poetic gem...Exquisite and memorable."
~Kirkus Reviews