The Shadow of the East

# The Shadow of the East

This serialized novel by E. M. Hull (author of The Sheik) concerns English gentleman Barry Craven, an artist living in Yokohama with his Japanese servant Yoshio. When American millionaire Jermyn Atherton arrives aboard his yacht, he urges Craven to abandon Japan and return to England—or marry. Atherton himself is fleeing a domestic quarrel with his society wife Nina over her social obligations in New York. Leslie Atherton, Jermyn's brother, rounds out the trio with comic observations. As Atherton presses Craven about his prolonged stay in Japan, Craven admits he is "the usual fool"—implying romantic entanglement. When Atherton suggests Craven leave with him, Craven refuses, cryptically stating he cannot. The novel balances romantic intrigue with Atherton's marital reconciliation plot, set against an exotic Eastern backdrop.