Heart of a Samurai

Dec 29, 2010 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Matthew

Shelves: 2010-award-possibilities, newbery-honor

Delightful throwback of a book, like something I would have read in the fifties--I mean, if I'd been alive in the fifties, so, like a soft, faded, library-bound hardcover I would have taken out in the eighties, only to see it disappear a couple of years later when everything was modernized.

Not to say that it is too old-fashioned. I think this book is good enough and fast-paced enough to be interesting to modern children. I know kids in my classes would have enjoyed it if they'd been forced to re...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Kara Cardwell added it

When I first saw the cover of this book I was extremely excited. I was thinking, a book about a Samurai!! I’ve always been intrigued by stories that deal with warriors.

Although Heart of a Samurai didn’t deal with the Samurai aspect as much as I’d hope for, it concentrated on something better. Going after what you want and believing in yourself even when no one else does. Seeing the main character struggle for so long to go after a goal, as well as see the results (whether good or bad) was a huge...more

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May 01, 2013 Jim Erekson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, novel, historical-fiction

An enjoyable adventure story--the cover calls it a 'real life adventure.' Being aboard a whaling ship in the mid-1800s can't have been half this romantic, but Preus focuses on the personal wonder of being possibly the first Japanese national to live in the USA. All the facts jibe with what I remember from my Japanese History courses umpteen years ago in college. The shift from the Shogunate to the Meiji Restoration opens Japan to foreign contact, and within a few years emissaries from Japan are...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Cynthia Oh rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Heart of a Saumrai by Margi Preus takes the reader through a grand adventure on both sea and land with a naive Japanese boy who has the dreams of becoming a noble samurai. The first part of the book was definitely a hard part to get through because it was rather dull, repetitive, and almost predictable at times. It starts off with Manjiro, the Japanese boy, being stranded on sea but getting rescued by an American crew. For about the next chapters, it follows the typical culture difference co...more The Heart of a Saumrai by Margi Preus takes the reader through a grand adventure on both sea and land with a naive Japanese boy who has the dreams of becoming a noble samurai. The first part of the book was definitely a hard part to get through because it was rather dull, repetitive, and almost predictable at times. It starts off with Manjiro, the Japanese boy, being stranded on sea but getting rescued by an American crew. For about the next chapters, it follows the typical culture difference conflicts and almost lulled me to sleep. However, when Majiro starts to build a stronger relationship with the crew's captain, adjust with the crew by learning English, and get closer to his dream, the book gets on the roll. After Manjiro officially becomes part of the crew, he builds more confidence in his actions and the author clearly depicts a story of Manjiro's success. The progressing relationship between the captain and Manjiro becomes a very important relationship, almost like father-and-son. This relationship helps Manjiro return back to Japan safely even though he get imprisoned in Japan for his different cultural ideas. However, with all the experiences that he gained with the American crew, he is able to successfully convince the Japanese king to become more accepting of cultural differences and even manages to become a samurai. I think that the overall plot of this book can seem cliche for it's the typical story of a nobody becoming a somebody through their dreams, Preus does an amazing job of bringing that cliche conflict to life with amazing characters. The character Manjiro is one of the main reasons I couldn't stop reading the book. Manjiro depicted persistance and hope in many different ways. For example, he certainly didn't give up on his dream of becoming a samurai even though it cost him the fact of staying away from his family, adapting to a brand new culture, and having to stand on his own. I could relate to Manjiro easily because I understood his cultural difference conflicts that he went through. As someone living in between two very different culture, Korean and American, I also face cultural conflicts with family and friends which are very hard to deal with. In conclusion, I think that the characters made the story very engaging to read, but the beginning of the plot was a factor that made me give this book three stars. (less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Cleo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, review-copy

Fourteen year old Manjiro is a simple fishing boy in 1841 when he and four companions find themselves washed out to sea, and then thrown up on a deserted island. They know that they cannot return to Japan; anyone who leaves the country is not allowed to go back. But then they are rescued by the “barbarians”, Americans, on a whaling ship. Manjiro manages to overcome his fear of them (he is a naturally curious boy), and is soon helping with the chores of the whaling ship. The captain befriends him...more Fourteen year old Manjiro is a simple fishing boy in 1841 when he and four companions find themselves washed out to sea, and then thrown up on a deserted island. They know that they cannot return to Japan; anyone who leaves the country is not allowed to go back. But then they are rescued by the “barbarians”, Americans, on a whaling ship. Manjiro manages to overcome his fear of them (he is a naturally curious boy), and is soon helping with the chores of the whaling ship. The captain befriends him and takes him in, and over the next ten years, Manjiro discovers many new things and travels to many new places. He enjoys exploring, but he also dreams of going home to Japan and becoming a samurai (though he knows that this is impossible for a person of his social class.) And even if he does return, will he be welcomed or arrested?

The history of this book (also published by Abram’s) was really interesting. Apparently Manjiro was a real boy (some say the first Japanese boy to come to America, though I don’t know if that’s true), who was lost at sea and brought to America. So Heart of a Samurai had a lot of historical basis too. I also did not know that Japan was in isolation, refusing relations with other countries, for 250 years! That was quite amazing, that Japan would be so secluded. And the real Manjiro was a big part of helping Japan get out of that.

Heart of a Samurai also really emphasizes the way that Americans think that the Japanese are savage cannibals, and the Japanese think the Americans are barbaric monsters. They just haven’t had relations with one another, and they don’t know about each other. In any case, both the Americans and the Japanese do have good and bad sides. For example, the brutality of Westerners is highlighted in their gruesome way of hunting whales. But the Japanese also have a very rigid class system, making it impossible for a poor person to get rich. The dynamic there was interesting too. Heart of a Samurai was definitely an absorbing book, especially for someone who likes a book based on true historical events.

All of my reviews are at my blog, www.novareviews.blogspot.com.(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Ellen Brandt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: older-elementary, middle-school

This exciting story of courage and endurance is mostly true! In 1841, a group of fishermen, including 14-yr old Manjrio, are shipwrecked off the coast of Japan. They have heard that terrible men and monsters reside beyond their homeland, but they have no choice but to set up camp on a deserted island and hope for the best. Rescue comes in the form of a Massachusetts whaling ship. It can't take them back to Japan, because no foreigners are allowed there and Japanese citizens who have left the cou...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Judi Paradis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Knowing this was based on a true story from the 19th century really grabbed my attention. Manjiro and some men from his village are shipwrecked on an island when a storm comes up while they are fishing. They are without food or water and far from Japan when an American whaling ship rescues them. At this time, Japan is a completely closed country, and the Japanese fishermen have no idea what the rest of the world is like. Manjiro (renamed John Mung by his rescuers) becomes a favorite of the ship'...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Arianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus, is really good! It is based on a true story about Manjiro, a 13-year old boy from a fishing village in Japan who, along with four others, is shipwrecked and eventually picked up by an American whaling ship in 1841. Since this is at a time when Japan was closed to foreigners and did not welcome back Japanese people who strayed too far from Japan’s borders (whether of their own volition or not), Manjiro must make the decision of whether he will try to get home a...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Betty-Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and so I was excited when I picked up this book as it was a time period I did not know much about and a great historical fiction book is my favorite way to learn about something new. And this book did not disappoint. This book takes place during the middle 1800s in Japan and America and these two very different worlds meet through a young Japanese boy.
Japan during this time was almost completely cut off from the rest of the world. They allowed no o...more Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and so I was excited when I picked up this book as it was a time period I did not know much about and a great historical fiction book is my favorite way to learn about something new. And this book did not disappoint. This book takes place during the middle 1800s in Japan and America and these two very different worlds meet through a young Japanese boy.
Japan during this time was almost completely cut off from the rest of the world. They allowed no one in the country except for a dozen Dutchmen who lived on a tiny island in an enclosed city guarded by police. This time in Japan’s history (1603 – 1855) was known as the Great Peace. Yes, there was no war but the government did completely and ruthlessly control what the Japanese people believed and were allowed to do. They were led to believe that other nations were evil empires made up of monsters and that Japan was the “heavenly blessed center of the universe”. And if you left Japan, you were never allowed to return on point of death.
America, on the other hand, was thriving as a young nation, busy with trade around the world. It was also the time of the whaling industry. Large schooners left the east coast of the US and traveled for two or three years at a time, killing and harvesting whales for their blubber and other useful parts.
The story begins with Manjiro, a young Japanese fisherman who is stranded on a remote island after a violent storm. He and his friends are rescued by an American whaling ship and you begin the remarkable journey of how this poor, fatherless, unimportant boy changes how his country responds to strangers. He is fostered by the captain of the ship, Captain Whitfield, who recognizes intelligence in this young boy. One of my favorite passages: “Stop apologizing for asking questions!” the captain said. “How are you going to learn if you don’t ask things? Ask all the questions you like whenever you like to whomever you like.” The captain tipped Manjiro’s chin up and looked him in the eye. “Do you understand?”” And Manjiro asked many, many questions. When the ship reached America, Manjiro went to live with the captain and his wife, went to school, was a bright and eager student. But he missed Japan, worried that his widowed mother and younger siblings would have no one to care for them so he found a way to go back. And the result of this brave act was that Japan opened its borders and foreigners were allowed into the country. Remarkable and true!! I also read Shipwrecked!: The true adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhonda Blumberg (a short juvenile non-fiction book about the same boy) because I was so fascinated by Manjiro’s story. A great read!
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Jun 15, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fictionalized history of John Mung, the Japanese boy who "discovers" America in the late nineteenth century.

Japan will soon close the chapter of their 250 year isolation, a society so closed that foreigners can be put to death merely for appearing in Japanese ports. But as the story opens, this isolation rules the day and the Japanese native Manjiro, later named John Mung by his whaling ship rescuers, is shipwrecked off the Japanese coast beyond the point of return. He and his castaways find...more A fictionalized history of John Mung, the Japanese boy who "discovers" America in the late nineteenth century.

Japan will soon close the chapter of their 250 year isolation, a society so closed that foreigners can be put to death merely for appearing in Japanese ports. But as the story opens, this isolation rules the day and the Japanese native Manjiro, later named John Mung by his whaling ship rescuers, is shipwrecked off the Japanese coast beyond the point of return. He and his castaways find brief refuge on a deserted island and, despite their fear of barbarians speaking weird languages, succumb to their rescue by the "blue-eyed devils." The Western whalers, aboard a masted multi-sail vessel, are embarked on a multi-year commission of their funders back home. Upon their return to Massachusetts, Mung, now barely 17, is adopted by the ship’s Captain. This curious kid learns all he can of this American culture. Through Mung’s experiences the reader laughs about cultural differences revealed through daily living. Mung clearly appreciation of this American culture but longs to return home.

Whaling in late 19th century America is a source of energy and a staple of the western economy. American ships, wanting places for resupply, long for open Japanese ports. But Japanese boundaries are closed. Concerns about political meddling from outsiders predominates the ruling classes. Meanwhile, the geopolitical threats, real or perceived, impact every leg of Mung's voyages. This Japanese native son's accidental shipwrecking forces him to consider the punishment of death upon his return versus a lifetime of exile in the Americas. Mung reflects on two cultures which share at least one perspective: both cultures have a ruling class that considers itself superior while conversely considering foreigners as barbarians -- Mung's American family has to leave two churches before they can worship in peace with their foreign adoptee.

Can Mung go home again? The tale is a fascinating cultural exploration, a coming of age story, and an historical glimpse into a past world where energy-technologies are different but have similar political and commercial characteristics with the present day. Differences in political structures, technological utility, communications, transportation and commerce vary not just between countries of that era, but also between that era and the present. Interpersonal and cultural exchanges abound. Japanese isolationism lasted 250 years. Less than 250 years later, change seems both surprisingly swift and uncompromisingly still. (less)

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May 03, 2012 Zabrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ah! Manjiro is a kindred spirit to me and to J. William Fulbright! I have also felt a desire to know more about the world and to travel to new lands. Along with Fulbright, Manjiro came to believe that people could grow in respect for each other through close cross-cultural encounters. His character is very amiable. The author has injected just enough humor and self-reflection to make him real without becoming clownish or heavy. The artwork is a fabulous complement to the text. I loved and reread...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, advance-reading-copy-advance-uncorr

Based on a true story, Ms. Preus has given the world an adventure tale of a different kind of hero, a 14-year-old Japanese fisherboy driven by an insatiable curiosity and a yearning to see more of the world than his hidebound, fearful country will permit. Blown on the winds of chance and the kindness of strangers, Nakahama Manjiro’s tale is filled with wonder, fear, joys, sorrows and endless surprises. Ms. Preus manages to convey Manjiro as a real-life human being, one replete with flaws, streng...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

Manjiro is only 14 years old when he takes a job on a Japanese fishing boat to help support his family. A big storm shipwrecks the fisherman on a deserted island for several months. When they are finally rescued by an American whaling boat they are almost starved to death.

The year is 1841 and as strange as this may seem to us, the country of Japan had a really isolationish view of the world back then. That means that they just wanted to be left alone. They did not want any influences from outsid...more

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Feb 26, 2012 NebraskaIcebergs rated it 5 of 5 stars

How would you react if someone greeted you with a bow or by avoiding eye contact? Captain Whitfield reacted with impatience, which puzzled Manjiro and his fishermen companions. To them, those actions showed politeness. Other similar examples of miscommunication between cultures abound in Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, the fictionalized true story of how a Japanese teenage fisherman named Manjiro discovered America in 1841 and how as an adult he persuaded Japan to ease open its boundaries. As...more How would you react if someone greeted you with a bow or by avoiding eye contact? Captain Whitfield reacted with impatience, which puzzled Manjiro and his fishermen companions. To them, those actions showed politeness. Other similar examples of miscommunication between cultures abound in Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, the fictionalized true story of how a Japanese teenage fisherman named Manjiro discovered America in 1841 and how as an adult he persuaded Japan to ease open its boundaries. As such, it will interest historical fiction buffs and those seeking multicultural novels. Because Heart of a Samurai also involves sea travel, whaling expeditions, mutiny, and storms, it’ll also appeal to anyone who likes adventure stories.

Margi Preus visited Japan twice, which no doubt helped with her convincing portrayal of Manjiro and his companions. At first, the five are simply steering their fishing boat towards home. Except for their talk of samurai and swords, and geisha and kimonos, the five could have been from anywhere. The details don’t really become more important when the five encounter Americans, yet even then Preus delivers. If your country had shut itself off from the rest of the world, how would you react to meeting outsiders? Would your clothes differ? What about your mannerisms? Perhaps most telling, if you and the outsiders spoke in different languages, how would you communicate? In every situation, Preus helps me see what five fisherman in 1841 might have felt.

All of these situations are also explored within the context of a story that is already incredibly interesting. Manjiro and his companions get caught in storm. Even when they find land, their peril has just begun. Their boat capsizes, Jusuke injures his leg, and starvation becomes imminent. Then when rescue happens, it comes in the form of “barbarians”. Okay, the strangers didn’t have tails, horns, or fangs, but there were hairy faces and big noses. Manjiro and his companions might have been better off being left alone to die. At least, this is how Manjiro viewed their predicament. On the flip side, the strangers viewed the Manjiro and his companions as pagans and cannibals and spies. In less capable hands, The Heart of a Samurai could have amounted to a simplistic story of prejudice, that all too easily transforms into peace and harmony. It could also have easily turned into a condemnatory tale of how American whalers, church leaders, teachers, and students all failed to accept an outsider. To a certain extent, this is what happened. Yet prejudice is rarely that simple. What I appreciated most about Heart of a Samurai is that neither side is portrayed as being right or wrong; rather people from both cultures at times need to work to understand each other’s perspectives.

The Heart of a Samurai isn’t flawless. When Manjiro inquires about the disappearance of a shipmate, the rest of the crew respond with lines such as: “Jolly took a dickey run and met his oppos” and “Jolly had the devil to pay and no pitch hot.” Manjiro wonders what they were talking about and decides that English is a difficult language, but to be honest I couldn’t understand the banter either. When Captain Whitfield docks his ship, he takes a wife whom we rarely hear about again. Although the real captain does take a wife at this time, and so Preus is keeping to the facts, it might have been nice to provide her with a larger role. Finally, there’s an incident with Manjiro and a bully, which feels cliché regardless of whether it has roots in truth.

Because of an author’s need to remain faithful to actual events, the risk of historical fiction is that it can read like a dry narrative. In contrast, Heart of a Samurai poignantly explores universal themes. Some are fairly familiar such as that of growing up and finding one’s place in the world. Early on, Manjiro and Goemon share dreams of what they wanted to be when they grew up, declare themselves the Samurai of Bird Island, and play fight with swords made out of driftwood. There is also a subtle but meaningful moment when Manjiro watches a snail and wonders where it is going with such purpose. Other themes have been less frequently explored but are equally important such as how to negotiate the precarious balance between two worlds that one loves. I like Manjiro’s first reaction to seeing a world map. He can’t read the words on it, but imagines that they say: “Come and see!” My favorite scene is a bittersweet one: “He had encountered both beauty and pain. Now he understood that was how it would always be.” Through moments like these, Preus makes Manjiro feel like a real person.

It was fun to read my second book in one month about adventure on the high sea, my first being the equally exceptional Fish by Gregory Mone. I also appreciated learning about a pivotal moment in Japan’s history. Yet what I loved most about Heart of a Samurai is how Preus introduced me to an inspiring individual whom I wish I could have known, within the context of an enthralling story.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, ya

Manjiro, a poor fourteen-year-old fisherman, gets shipwrecked with four other Japanese young men on an island where they are rescued by an American whaling ship in 1841. Japan has had 250 years of isloationist policy where if a citizen comes in contact with a foreigner they cannot come back to their country because they are tainted. The Japanese sailors are in a fix when the whaling ship comes along. Do they starve to death on the island or do they hitch a ride with a bunch of barbarians?

Obvious...more Manjiro, a poor fourteen-year-old fisherman, gets shipwrecked with four other Japanese young men on an island where they are rescued by an American whaling ship in 1841. Japan has had 250 years of isloationist policy where if a citizen comes in contact with a foreigner they cannot come back to their country because they are tainted. The Japanese sailors are in a fix when the whaling ship comes along. Do they starve to death on the island or do they hitch a ride with a bunch of barbarians?

Obviously, they choose the barbarians. While Manjiro’s companions stay separate from the crew and make no attempt to learn the language or work the ship, Manjiro is fascinated by sailing and whaling and he quickly learns the language and interacts with the crew. When offered an opportunity to travel to American with the Captain he takes it while his companions are dropped off at a Hawaiian port. In America, Manjiro goes to school where he has to learn to deal with bullies and acceptance. He lives in the U.S. for about 10 years before looking for gold in California. He is successful enough to travel back to Japan where he is imprisoned for years as a spy before policies shift and Japan decides to make contact with the world. Then Manjiro’s language and knowledge of American culture becomes critical to the leaders in helping them open their world to others.

This book is written from a western point of view and I found some parts stereotypical, particularly from the thinking in the character Goemon. I found the book lacking in authenticity and understanding of Japanese culture. I would really like to give it to one of our students from Japan and get their view on it. I thought Manjiro sounded American in his thinking not Japanese. Also, Manjiro wouldn’t have spoken as well as he did in the book, but it would be really difficult to write how someone acquires language at the age of 14. I just know from living in Asia that he wouldn’t be that fluent with tenses and sentences on the whaling ship. She had some short choppy sentences but then would switch to complete sentences, but these were minor occurences and didn’t take away from the story. I did like how the author shows that Manjiro had to face prejudices from Jolly and the bully at school. It was refreshing to see that Jolly changed in the story. I also liked how the author writes about Manjiro being interested in a girl but how he overhears her talking about him and realizes that he has no chance with her being a foreigner. It is hard to be accepted as an outsider.

I thought the plot was rushed at times and covered some huge time periods. I also thought the bond between Manjiro and the Captain should have been established more. The Japanese are so intensely loyal to family that I found it unbelieveable that Manjiro would leave his family behind when he was the breadwinner and follow the captain. It would have been more believeable if he had no family. This is a true story so I wonder if this part was true or not. Sometimes the truth is harder to understand than something made up.

I’m not sure why this is young adult except that the killing of whales might be distressing to children and the vocabulary high. I thought the author handled the whaling well and Manjiro had sympathy for the magnificent whale. It is an interesting book and would be a good one to use for book club because there is so much to talk about in it. There is little violence and just one small part where Manjiro thinks a girl is cute.
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Feb 09, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 2 of 5 stars

In 1841, Manjiro and his fellow Japanese fishing companions are tossed by a storm and end up on a deserted island, where they are eventually rescued by and American whaling vessel. The companions are dropped off in what is to become Hawaii, but Manjiro, who becomes known as John Mung, decides to stay with the captain, who has thought of him as a son. After more time at sea, Manjiro ends up in New England with the captain's new wife and baby, is apprenticed to a barrel maker, and finally decides...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Patricia O'Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Son of a fisherman, fourteen-year-old Manjiro dreams of being a samurai. But after being rescued from a shipwreck by an American whaling vessel, Manjiro is not sure he can ever return home to Japan, which is closed to foreigners and citizens who have had contact with foreigners. So Manjiro learns the ways of the Americans, even going to Fairhaven to live with them for a time. But, after years of satisfying his curiosity about this strange new land where progress is valued over tradition, Manjiro...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Rodricucuz Vaughn rated it 5 of 5 stars

1. Historical Fiction

2. " Heart of a Samurai" is a book that is based Japanese ship wreck in 1841 and saved by an American ship , the book is filled with adventure . Manjiro, a 14 year old Japanese boy is at the heart of the story .

3. critique

a. This book is filled with adventure and different cultures . The book is based on historical accounts of Manjiro who is thought to be one of the first Japanese to visit America at a time when the country was still young . In the book Majiro must make a...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Marcy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful middle school novel! Manjiro, age 14, left the islands of isolationist Japan with his four fishermen friends in a small boat, got caught in a storm and almost left to die on a small remote island, only to be rescued by "foreigners," who were whalers and Americans, feared by all Japanese people. Manjiro's "foreign" education began on the whaling ship, continued in America, and through continued hope and hard work, John sailed back to Japan as a young adult with two of his orig...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

This 2011 Newbery Honor book describes the exciting true story of the first Japanese person to come to the United States. Manjiro is a 14-year-old fishermen who is swept out to sea with several others during a fierce storm. After being stranded on a deserted island, the fisherman are rescued by an American whaling ship. Manjiro decides not to return to Japan because he is fearful that his people will not accept him back now that he has been tainted by the "barbarians." Instead, Manjiro's travels...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

When fourteen-year-old Manjiro ran away to sea to earn enough money for his family to eat, he never suspected that his fishing boat would wreck on a desert island. He never suspected that he and his friends would be rescued by a crew of White “barbarians” with piercing blue eyes. He never suspected that those “barbarians” would offer him a chance to visit America. And this poor, peasant fisherman from rural Japan never suspected that America would offer him hopes and challenges that no person in...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Josiah rated it 3 of 5 stars

The continued legacy of fictionalized biography among books recognized by the ALA with gold and silver Newbery Medals has found a worthy carrier in Heart of a Samurai. Margi Preus, in her debut novel, has shown that she firmly grasps what is necessary to create an interesting book of historical importance, taking the promising initial idea of writing about a peasant boy from Japan who would grow up to somehow become a revered samurai, and adding dashes of color and flair to the true story to fa...more The continued legacy of fictionalized biography among books recognized by the ALA with gold and silver Newbery Medals has found a worthy carrier in Heart of a Samurai. Margi Preus, in her debut novel, has shown that she firmly grasps what is necessary to create an interesting book of historical importance, taking the promising initial idea of writing about a peasant boy from Japan who would grow up to somehow become a revered samurai, and adding dashes of color and flair to the true story to fashion it into a reading experience that goes down smoothly and easily. In short, Margi Preus has made an important part of the history between American and Japanese relations into a readable narrative for her target audience.

Living in isolationist Japan of the 1840s, fourteen-year-old Manjiro and three other Japanese fisherman set off on their boat in the coastal waters of their island nation, with the intent of catching a haul. The voyage goes terribly wrong when a squall pummels the small boat and accosts its crew of four to the brink of death, at which point they are lucky enough to spot land and make it there while the boat still remains intact. The land they have reached is a barren, rocky place, though, devoid of much green or animal life, and just surviving is a brutal experience for the four shipwrecked fishermen. Manjiro and his friends have nearly accepted their fate of starvation when a ship happens to come close enough to the island on which they are marooned to allow Manjiro, in a frantic state of adrenaline powered speed, to swim out and catch the attention of the ship's captain. Manjiro and his four dying friends, having never before seen non-Japanese people, are terrified by the bizarre-looking white men with unnatural colored eyes who have rescued them. More easily than his older friends, though, Manjiro is willing to tentatively reach out to his rescuers and learn a little bit of their language, symbolically stepping from behind the strict government policies of Japan that absolutely forbid any contact with foreigners, to get a closer look at the unusual ways of the American men. Manjiro finds that while the foreign sailors are rowdy and don't always use proper manners, they seem a good sort in general, not all that different from his own countrymen. Manjiro's curiosity about America and the whole rest of the gigantic world outside of Japan makes for a difficult choice: should he try to return to his family in Japan, where the government might well execute him for having had contact with foreigners, or should he reluctantly agree to let go of his past, and seek his destiny in America?

Captain Whitfield, the man in charge of the ship that happenstance had brought to Manjiro and his friends in their hour of darkest need, is not at all the "barbarian" that white people had been made out to be in Japanese legends. In time, Whitfield comes to regard Manjiro as sort of the son that he'd never had, and Manjiro sees him as something of a father figure, since his own father had been dead for years before the fateful crash of their fishing boat. Through the myriad kindnesses of the captain, Manjiro is introduced to the full gamut of the American lifestyle, personally experiencing both the lovely and the terrible sides of the "new world". Manjiro has families on two different continents now, but he never gives up his dream of returning to Japan and being reunited with his mother and siblings, even as he knows how painful it will be to leave Captain Whitfield when the time comes for his return. And what can Manjiro expect when he steps on the shores of Japan for the first time in a decade, faced with the distinct possibility that the government still may imprison or even execute him for having dealt with foreigners?

Heart of a Samurai covers an awful lot of ground in the life of Manjiro, so there are many parts that have to be skipped over to make for a story of relative brevity; however, I didn't get the feeling at any point that the author was glossing over anything that definitely should have been treated with greater depth. Sometimes I do get that feeling when reading these kinds of fictionalized biographies, but not this time. The story is varied and makes a variety of worthy points, from the importance of chasing after personal ambition (like the way Manjiro pursues his desire to explore the world outside of his home country even when his Japanese elders tell him that it will poison his mind), to how much hurt can be caused by prejudice (as Manjiro finds himself repeatedly shut out and mistrusted by Americans, the same way that he knows his own people would likely have responded if the situation were reversed and a white teenager were transplanted to Japan), to the surpassing significance of family in any culture and any time, no matter the shading of one's skin or the language that one speaks. Some character qualities, like love for friends and family, are universal. As the sudden and unexpected opportunity presents itself for Manjiro to become a pivotal figure in bridging the gap between his two home countries, he steps forward confidently into the role that is so perfectly tailored to his own unique life experience. A little bit of his all-inclusive spirit appears to have rubbed off on both sides, providing the starting point for a peaceable coexistence between the two proud and powerful nations. Looking back through history it's clear that Manjiro had a deep and undeniable impact on that connection, and we are so much better off for the alliance that he bravely instigated.

Would I have given Heart of a Samurai a Newbery Honor citation for 2011? Well, probably not. There are several others I would have gone with instead that unfortunately were not recognized by the Newbery Committee; nonetheless, this is a fine novel deserving of such acclaim as it has received, and it has much to offer to either the seasoned scholar of history or the relative newbie who simply has an interest in the book and its subject. I certainly would give my recommendation, and at least two and a half stars, to Heart of a Samurai. (less)

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May 18, 2011 M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Based on a true story; events happened in the mid- to late-1800's. Manjiro, the son of a Japanese fisherman, expects to be a poor fisherman all his life. And then, when he's 14, the fishing boat he's on gets caught in a storm and a strong current takes it to a deserted island where Manjiro and the other fisherman are stranded for several months until they're rescued by an American whaling ship. They're taken to Hawaii where the others get off, but Manjiro stays with the whaler, learning English...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-count-2011, historical-fiction

For many centuries, Japan was a closed country inaccessible to outsiders, especially those from the West. As clipper ships and whaling became more prominent at the beginning of the 19th century, Americans wondered how they might open the country for trading. Japanese people, too, began to wonder about other countries, but they saw Westerners as barbarians and a danger to their culture and way of life.

In the midst of this, Manjiro, a poor 14-year-old Japanese boy is shipwrecked when the fishing b...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Erin Reilly-Sanders rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, fiction, foreign, historical, juvenile, multicultural

I read this as a candidate for my class's historical fiction selection next quarter and I have to say it passed the test. As fa as historical fiction goes, it's a little bit different than what we usually think of since it's based on a true story. This results in there being less "story sculpting"- what I'll temporarily call the work the author does to make the plot arc satisfying and highlight a chosen theme. Instead Preus has to mostly make do with given events, journals, and even sketches Man...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Talia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newberry, j-historicalfic

Manjiro is only 14 when a fishing trip goes awry and finds himself on a desert island with his companions for several months. When they are rescued, it is by American whalers, and since Japan doesn’t allow foreigners on its shores, Manjiro and his friends are taken to America. From there, Manjiro embarks on a tremendous journey in America and cultivates a love affair with the ocean, but all the while, he dreams of going back home to Japan.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I would’ve been happy if this...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Eva Mitnick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, historical-fiction, ya

Manjiro is portrayed as an eager and curious teen with a quick mind and an adventurous spirit. It's easy to see why Captain Whitfield liked him so well that he took him into his own home, and how he came to be accepted by so many despite prejudice concerning his race and origins. That prejudice was always present in some form or another, but Manjiro seems to have been able to shrug it off, quoting his mother, "Fall down 7 times; get up 8 times."

I adore a good sea adventure, so I particularly rel...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Ruby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fourteen-year-old Manjiro is full of questions, questions that the elder fishermen he is with get irritated with. Manjiro must learn his place, but Manjiro dreams of one day becoming a samurai. That dream is impossible though, because he comes from a family of fishermen and that's all he ever be.

It's 1841 and Japan is the greatest country in the world, so they say. Stories are told of the horrible beasts that inhabit the West. When Manjiro and his fellow fishermen are swept out to sea in a great...more

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Feb 05, 2011 ICPL Staff Picks added it

Shelves: childrens, fiction, katherine

Boys in grades 5-8 will especially like this adventure story, inspired by a true adventure on the high seas, about a 14 year-old Japanese boy, Manjiro, who wants to become a samurai. The setting begins in 1841 when he and four friends are rescued on an island off Japan by an American whaling ship. Over the next ten years he travels to many faraway places. He becomes an expert whaler and deals with much prejudice on board ship and on land. Manjiro learns a new language and comes to understand tha...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Phoebe rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Cheryl, Lisa, Sarah

Several children's books have been written about Manjiro, who is thought to have been the first Japanese person to visit America. This is the first in-depth novel about his experiences and it is an interesting and well-written effort. Manjiro's amazing adventures held my attention, but I was also fascinated by his personality, which was nicely imagined by Preus through her extensive research of his life. A fishing boat accident in 1841 left him and his fellow sailors stranded and homeless, unabl...more

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