The book, Silence, was written in the 1960s by a Roman Catholic author named Shasaku Endo. This novel has become one of Shasaku Endo's best and has become a very well-known novel that describes the times in Japan throughout the 17th century. This novel is based on the history and lives of Japanese missionaries who lived in the 17th century. This was approximately in the 1630s and 1640s, in the 17th century. The author describes how these Japanese missionaries had to live a life and go through a period in history where their faith was tested. This period of history has been called "the Christian century" (Endo, p. vii). The historical background of this novel begins with the beginning of Christianity which was introduced to the country of Japan. This religious faith was brought to this country by a Jesuit priest named the Basque Francis Xavier. Xavier first arrived in Japan in 1549 (Endo, 1969). Francis Xavier is from a region in northern Spain called Biscay. It was in the mid-1500s that Xavier found his interest in becoming a missionary to Japan and becoming a priest. Upon their arrival in Japan, the Japanese welcomed Xavier; it was there that he was the first to preach the Christian faith and convert many people to the Christian faith. “In total, Francis, the first to preach the Gospel in Japan, made perhaps 2,000 converts there” (Kiefer, p. 1). The most central character in the book is a young Portuguese Jesuit priest named Sebastian Rodrigues. The majority of this novel consists of Rodriuges' journey as he lived his life as a young missionary priest in Japan. It's in Japan... middle of paper... and the prayer is that one day we will not have to endure the same torture and conviction as these individuals did at this specific time in history. Cited Coles, Robert. "New Oxford Review." New Oxford Review. Harvard Journal, nd Web. May 21, 2014. .Endo, Shusaku. “Translator’s Preface, Chapter 8.” Silence. New York: Taplinger Pub. Co., 1969. vii, 168. Print. Kiefer, James. "Francis Xavier, Missionary."Francis Xavier, Missionary. Archbishop Justus Society, August 29, 1999. Web. May 21, 2014. Parker, Adam. “Bring on the Books: Book Review: Silence by Shusaku Endo.” Goodbye. Web log publication. Bring on the Books: Book Review: Silence by Shusaku Endo. Np, January 28, 2013. Web. May 22 2014. .