Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

 

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Historical Fiction

Ages 10-12

Grades 5-7

301 pages – hardcover

c. 2010

            Heart of a Samurai is a novel based on the true story of Manjiro, a 14-year-old Japanese fisherman and his four companions whose boat was destroyed in a storm in 1841. They manage to swim to a deserted island and remain there for a long time. At the point of starvation, a whaling ship rescues them and offers to take them to America since Japan is closed to foreigners and natives who have left the islands. Manjiro is curious and eager to learn new things, often asking questions. He quickly learns English and catches the attention of Captain Whitfield, who eventually adopts him and brings him home to Massachusetts. Manjito continues to learn many new things, while also encountering the prejudice of many people. He eventually goes to San Francisco to pan for gold and get enough money to return to Japan. When he does return, he encounters suspicions of being a spy and is imprisoned for quite a while. Eventually he manages to convince the emperor of his innocence and to ease open the boundaries around Japan.

          While there are points of high adventure in the story, especially during the storm that destroys their boat, this is more a novel of historical fiction than an adventure story. The author includes extensive historical notes, a glossary of Japanese words, terms, and places, whaling terms and parts of a ship, and sailor’s lingo. There is also a bibliography and suggested reading as well as illustrations of Manjiro’s pencil drawings.

            The story is told from the perspective of 14-year-old Manjiro, who eventually takes the American name of John Mung. Though only a lowly fisherman Manjiro dreams of one day becoming a samurai, an impossibility in Japan. The five sections of the book begin with a quote from The Book of the Samurai. The quote that best describes Manjiro’s attitude toward life is, "Have your whole heart bent on a single purpose." This is how he approaches surviving life on the island, being a crew member on the whaling ship, dealing with the prejudices and hostility he meets in Massachusetts, the hardships of looking for gold out west and the imprisonments he endures in Japan. In the end Manjiro was united with his family and did achieve the rank of a Samurai. Heart of a Samurai is a 2011 Newbery Honor book.