Lafcadio Hearn's books have charmed and captivated readers, just as the exotic subjects about which he has written have captivated him. ©Gleanings in the Buddha-Fields© presents more Hearn magic as he enters into the spirit of Buddhism as though he were born into it. This collection of stories, subtitled ©Studies of Hand and Soul in the Far East,© takes the reader on a journey into the soul of Hearn's adopted land as no other writer--especially a non-Japanese native--could. Lafacdio Hearn was born in Greece to an Irish father and a Greek mother. After working as a journalist in New Orleans, he later moved to Japan, where he took on the name Koizumi Yagumo.