In 1637 two Portuguese missionaries undertake a perilous search for their tutor missing on the hostile island of Japan. If discovered, they face the same fate as other practising Christians torture at the hands of the Shogun and his Samurai, until they renounce their Christian faith. 

Endo masterfully uses this gripping high-stakes narrative as a means to pose challenging questions about the limits of faith and devotion and to better understand the role of Judas in the death of Christ. 

'One of the finest novels of our time.' -Graham Greene 

'A remarkable work . . . sombre, delicate and startlingly empathetic.' -John Updike 

'One of the finest historical novels written by anyone, anywhere.' -David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas