The thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoet

The end of the EIGHTEENTH century. The young Dutchman Jacob de Zoet arrives on Dejima — Dutch colony in Japan. He needs to make money — the father of his sweetheart, Anna, does not consent to the marriage of his daughter with a poor man.
Jacob is sure that he would return to his homeland, will become the husband of Anna and the years spent in Japan, will be remembered as a little adventure. But fate decreed otherwise — he will spend abroad most of my life, much to experience, to find and lose love.
Mitchell skillfully weaves together the fates of numerous people, filling the world he created mysterious characters and vivid details inviting the reader along with the hero to survive all the trials that came his way.