Across the Nightingale Floor is a young adult action/adventure novel set in a fictional land in feudal Japan. The beginning of this novel sees Takeo, a young man from a small, peaceful society called the Hidden, returning home to find his family slaughtered and his village in ruins. This unfortunate circumstance provides the backdrop for the rest of the novel; everything Takeo goes through is the indirect result of that one terrible incident. Grief is a major theme here; a lot of the novel's conflict is internal, as Takeo must learn to move on in spite of tragedy. Lord Otori, later known as Shigeru, helps him through this painful process by giving him lessons and wise aphorism on which to meditate.
In one sense, this is a novel about the response to grief. In another, however, it is a simple story about warring states, a meaningful mentor, and a beautiful girl, the type of story that appeals to teenage boys all over the world. It's certainly an entertaining story - although the plot isn't quite as developed as those of later books, there is still a healthy balance of action, contemplation, adventure, and philosophy, complete with a bit of romance sprinkled in. Its ending, however, is unlike the traditional story in that motivations and alliances become a bit blurred. It's not quite clear which party is completely evil, as many conflicting interests desire the same thing, and somewhere along the line almost all of Takeo's new friends are killed.
Unlike most young adult novels, which either end happily or end terribly in the name of the shock factor, Across the Nightingale Floor ends ambiguously, with the reader unsure whether to celebrate or cry. General YA tropes of good and evil are blurred here, which makes for a more philosophically complex novel but generally a weaker adventure story. This novel works well, however, despite many potential flaws. The "skills" of the Tribe are a bit nebulous, but there seem to be elements of fantasy here - Takeo learns he has powers beyond those of a normal person, but these powers are not exaggerated in the manner of contemporary young adult literature, instead being minor augmentations to existing human functions. This un-intrusive style of magic is perhaps more nuanced than that of traditional fantasy, and its whimsical nature fits the story and setting perfectly.
Hearn has come under a small bit of criticism for her representation of Japanese culture - she herself is not Japanese, nor does it seem that she has much actual experience with the country and its history. Despite this, however, the reception to this novel was largely positive, winning a German award for children's fiction and becoming one of the most famous early young adult books.
