Hey! A book I can recommend to junior high boys! Who like historical fiction or books based upon true stories.
Heart of a Samurai is based upon the true story of Manjiro, a Japanese fisherboy who is better known as both “the boy who discovered America” and perhaps the first Japanese person to set foot on American soil.
Manjiro was a common boy, the son of a fisherman, with no hopes or dreams higher than following in the footsteps of his deceased father. Manjiro went fishing off the coast of his small village with four of his older friends. An unexpected storm blows them far away from the only land they know. They manage to find safety on bird island.
The boys are stranded in the early 1800s when Japan, called Nippon then, was living under an isolationist policy that lasted for 250 years. No foreigner was allowed to set foot on Japanese soil. AND, no native who left, either purposefully or accidentally, was allowed to return. Stranded sailors like Manjiro and his friends knew that at best they could never return to Japan. At worst, they could try and be executed for the attempt.
Luckily, the stranded boys are discovered by the John Howland whaling crew. The American Captain rescues them, clothes them, feeds them and provides a temporary home for them. And this is their first experience with non-Japanese men. Until this point, the boys have only heard stories of cannibalistic, goblin men with horns, big noses and hairy faces. Only the latter two attributes are true.
Manjiro will discover that as much as the Japanese people find everyone else to be barbaric, Americans are equally repulsed by Manjiro and his people.
Manjiro proves to be an incredibly intelligent young man, as well as open-minded and a quick learner. He learns English effortlessly and thirsts for all knowledge to aid him in returning home someday. Unlike his fellow fishermen who remain passengers on the John Howland, Manjiro soon becomes a member of the crew through his natural abilities.
When the ship arrives at port in Oahu, the Captain helps the fishermen find a place to stay with the anticipation of ships returning to Japan and attempts to return home. But the Captain offers Manjiro an alternative – to return to New Bedford and home with the Captain. It’s a hard decision, but Manjiro has forged a special relationship with the Captain. The Captain says that American is the land of opportunity and Manjiro would like to see what that means.
An enjoyable and inspiring true story about a boy who would someday become an agent of change.
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