Heart of a Samurai

Heart of a Samurai
By Margi Preus
Amulet Books, 2010. 301 pgs. Young Adult

In 1841, fourteen year old Manjiro, while out fishing with some companions, gets caught up in a storm and becomes shipwrecked on an island. Though they survive they can not return to their homeland of Japan because their custom states that once you leave you have been influenced by foreign ways and are forbidden to return. Just when they are about to give up hope of ever leaving the island, they are rescued by a whaling ship. At first, both sides mistrust each other, but Manjiro, always eager to learn, learns English and begins to help around the ship. The Captain, seeing the eagerness of the boy, begins to form a bond with Manjiro and when it comes time to return to America, invites Manjiro to join him.

This interesting piece of unknown history is told in an approachable way, with its short chapters and Manjiro’s own artwork sprinkled throughout the book.