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Disturbance in the Wake

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AN AMAZON TOP 50 BESTSELLER! ☆Amy Ohara is celebrating her twenty-first birthday by going on a cruise, off the coast of Honshu, Japan. She grew up in Tokyo and is well acquainted with Japan’s rich traditions and ancient history. Betrayed by the man she had been dating, Amy is now awaiting transport as human cargo. As her life swings in the balance, Amy has a choice, dive into the black waters and perhaps drown or be taken by the human traffickers. When the yacht blows up, Amy feels lucky to be alive and swims for shore. Yet she has arrived at the shore of a distant past. Amy has been washed back in time nearly 700 years, 300 years before Europeans stepped foot in Asia. With her red hair and green eyes, she stands out.The sea holds many mysteries and wonders. Ten-year-old Hiroki Tanaka grew up in a fishing village on an island just off the coast of Honshu, Japan. While he helps his father fishing, a large earthquake hits his island. Hiroki falls from the boat as the waters become choppy and he is pulled under water. He is desperate to get back to his father. When he surfaces, his father and the boat are gone. When Hiroki swims to shore, he realizes that he has been swept back in time to an era of violence and the samurai.

216 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2020

111 people are currently reading
28 people want to read

About the author

S.A. Ison

41 books72 followers

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5 stars
162 (66%)
4 stars
66 (27%)
3 stars
11 (4%)
2 stars
3 (1%)
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0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Fred Barnes.
316 reviews34 followers
June 4, 2025
STEP BACK IN TIME TO THE TIME OF SAMURAIS, SHOGUNS, PEASANTS, & LORDS

☆☆☆☆☆

How well would you do if you were sent back in
time from 2018 to 1345 from a world of lights, cars, fast food, and everything you want down the street at the store to candles, wood fires, your food grown by yourself or hunted by yourself, and your only means of travel was on horseback, walking, or row or sailboats? How would you hold up in a social setting where honor and customs were everything?

Disturbance in the Wake S.A. Ison is a story of an American-Japanese woman from 2018 who is sent back in time to 1345 through a time portal and washed up on a beach where everything is foreign to Amy Ohara a redhead office worker in Kyoto, Japan.

This is a story of compassion, love, struggles, friendship and betrayal, honor and dishonor in a time when everyone is shoehorned into a life and social class where if you're at the bottom of the social class where your life is at the whim of those above you in social standings.

The main characters are easily imagined due to the style of S.A. Ison's writing. You'll find yourself drawn into the storyline with the syntax she uses in her writing. The characters are brought to life in a way that you find yourself believing you are right there living through the situations they are going through from family relationships, romances, and battles with foreign pirates, bandits, and royalty. She describes the landscape in a way that if you were to close your eyes you could see it as if you were right there viewing it yourself.

As a piece of fiction, this story also has a look into the historical events and places that are brought into the storyline in a way that strengthens the story and her characters. At the start of the first page, you will find yourself hooked and you'll want to share 1345 through the eyes and thoughts of Amy, Hiroki, Kano, and Okita just to name a few of the main characters.

I truly believe that you will find that you will really enjoy reading this book as much as I have. Anyone who enjoys a great story especially those of you who love books about time travel, you're going to place this book on the top of your favorite list.
4 reviews2 followers
April 25, 2025
Good Short Read

Great book ! If given the chance to read this story , give it a try . You will definitely like it . A feel good book.
Profile Image for Pam Shelton-Anderson.
1,929 reviews66 followers
September 26, 2023
I have to start by admitting that my exposure to feudal-era Japan is from reading the book "Shogun" by James Clavell, watching the miniseries and reading a book about Will Adams, the Englishman that was the basis for "Shogun", though all of these took place several hundred years to in the future of this book. It did give me some familiarity with the era, though, and I found this novel about Japan of the current day and Japan of the 14th century really interesting. I am genetically obligated to cheer for a fellow red-head too. I was pleased to read that Takauji was a real historical figure. There were two surprises at the end, one a little more predictable and one not so much that ended this very well. I enjoyed this time travel journey a lot.
20 reviews1 follower
July 22, 2020
I love it, you will too.

Such a great book I hated for it to end. We each of us have wondered what it would be like to go back in time after reading this book I can see how hard it would be. I'm very pleased that I had the opportunity to enjoy it. I won't forget it for a long long time.
41 reviews
May 10, 2021
Time Travelers

This was a very enjoyable story! I truly appreciated the storyline and was caught up from the beginning to the end and didn't want to put it down! Give this book a chance and it will hook you.
Profile Image for Donna Demarest.
46 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2022
loved this book!

My daughter recommended this book to me, and I absolutely enjoyed it! The characters are rich in Japanese culture, it contains mystery, romance and time travel. What a combination! It’s also very well written and doesn’t leave you hanging, I especially enjoyed the ending of the book as well. It kept me interested all the way through from page one to the end. I recommend this book to my friend Ayanna!
Profile Image for E.A..
Author 2 books29 followers
March 6, 2021
An enjoyable romp in ancient Japan

This was a quite diverting time jump story with a lot of knowledgeable writing about the past culture and mores of Japan. The characters were attractive and the story just good enough to keep turning the pages. It's not great but competently written and well worth reading.
Profile Image for Cassandra Stryffe.
82 reviews5 followers
June 19, 2022
Such a gift

Beautiful story. It was wonderful to escape this crazy year and immerse myself in a different world for an hour or two. Don't miss out on this one, its wonderful!
47 reviews
December 29, 2020
A story worth reading

Once again a well written book. The history and characters in the book are great. Keep writing such great stories. Thank you S.A Ison.
312 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2022
Intrigue and war in ancient Japan

Superb tale of time travel and life and struggles on the islands. I liked the characters and the storyline. Great
2 reviews
April 15, 2025
Great read ,held my interest in every page .


Would recommend this book to anyone . described the islands beauty and their clothes. Really enjoyed reading , great author.
Profile Image for Janet.
7 reviews3 followers
June 6, 2022
S. A. Ison is a great author

This story blends sci-fi and historical romance. I would love a sequel. Every one of Ison's books carry the reader to different times and places. The reader developed memories of the lives of the characters that feel so real.
Profile Image for Roland Taub.
100 reviews3 followers
February 15, 2021
Almost a 5 star story

I don't give 5 stars out very often, but this one came close. This is a good story that starts slowly and then takes off. I really liked the contrast of new Japan and the very o!d. Having read many books on this topic, but not in the 14rh century, I enjoyed the contrast of this era and the mores of the later periods. It's easy to read and has just enough action.
Profile Image for Saint Vitas.
219 reviews3 followers
June 12, 2021
loved the rich detail about Japan

the method of time displacement is different in each book, but makes sense. a lot of original think I g before setting own to paper so to speak. humans are mean and self centered at any time in history, so the continuing answer is to adapt and be happy where ever you land. a solid A for this one.
26 reviews
December 17, 2020
I liked the book, maybe my Love of martial arts & movies helped my understanding. I loved how well that time in history was portrayed, along with the problems of a modern person showing up in that isolationist era.
164 reviews2 followers
December 19, 2020
It's All in the Details

Another pleasant read by this Author. No lack of descriptive details here. Semi-fascinating to live in feudal Japan. Probably a little rougher on women than portrayed here but all in all ,it's worth reading 📚
816 reviews4 followers
March 30, 2021
5 Stars

Amy betrayed by her boyfriend dives off a yacht to escape her captures. She goes through time and ends up in Japan during the time of the Shoguns and Samurai. She is rescued by Hiroki who at the age of 10 was transported back 27 years before. Good book.
40 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2021
What a great imagination.

I really enjoyed reading about the samurai and what it would have been like to live back then. Very different from life in the United States.
74 reviews2 followers
September 22, 2022
Time travel to ancient Japan

I disturbance carries a modern woman back in time. Great story and characters. Very enjoyable, I highly recommend. Also a love story.
Profile Image for Jkane.
690 reviews2 followers
October 9, 2025
An American, who speaks fluent Japanese, and who has lived in Japan for a decade or so, washes up in feudal Japan, 300 years before any Europeans arrive. Given that her appearance looks nothing like a native Japanese woman, she is immediately an oddity. Fortunately, another time traveler is already in the past with her, and immediately recognizes what her appearance means. Her fluency in Japanese allows her to adapt and with the assistance with the other time traveler, she tries her best to become accepted in the Japanese village. Given her stark appearance, other people take an interest in her...
Profile Image for Sheila .
1,999 reviews
April 9, 2024
An engrossing, enjoyable historical time travel story, set in ancient Japan. I had this loaded on my kindle for a few months, but once I started reading it I quickly become involved in the story and finished it quickly. This story has made me now want to read the book Shōgun, which has been languishing on my bookshelf unread for many years.
10 reviews
Read
April 21, 2021
Mandatory rating

Mandatory rating. Kindle pressure mmm yay huh huh Bob mmm frfr high hmmm adds to high TTYT huh qq yyy
7 reviews
April 22, 2023
good Read

If you are interested in the feudal era of Japan then this is the book for you. Clearly the Author has either experienced it himself or he did a great deal of research.
112 reviews1 follower
September 14, 2023
Good story and writing, could have been better

I enjoyed the writing style and premise of the book, but the ending was abrupt and should have been a large slice of the story
Profile Image for Bill.
2,402 reviews17 followers
July 5, 2024
An abridged Shogun (Clavell). Well done.
Profile Image for Calvin.
48 reviews
September 9, 2025
Ironically, reading Shogun made me understand more of this book set in feudal Japan. And made me appreciate this book more. While it wasn't as epic in length as Shogun, it got the ambiance correct. The sci-fi factor wasn't even that much of a factor as it's only the beginning that's mostly sci-fi, the rest of the book is set in feudal Japan with no real hints that the future affects it. There's one major action sequence and no real "climax" action piece but overall a good story.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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