I originally ordered this novel because it appeared when I did a search for time travel. Thousand Autumns, sounded like it fit the bill. Was I ever wrong but I got a novel that kept me going for a long time. If I tell you what Thousand Autumns really referred to, I'd have to put a spoiler alert on this., so I'll leave it to you to find out on your own. David Mitchell is a tremendous writer and researcher. His command of Dutch names and habits, as well as japanese, is astounding. I really loved this book and highly recommend it. Caution: It is a period piece (Japan pre-opening to the West) so if you do not like period novels . . .