Manjiro is fourteen years old when a storm wrecks his four friends and his fishing boat onto a deserted island. They almost starve to death, but they get rescued by an American whaling vessel. Manjiro learns the ins and outs of the ship while wondering whether or not to trust the westerners. Manjiro then gets the option to stay with the captain or his countrymen. He decides to test his fate. This unbelievable true story is a must read. 

 

This book is titled "Heart of a Samurai."  It is written by Margi Preus. This book is about a fourteen year old boy who gets rescued by westerners, and goes to explore parts of the world no Japanese person has ever been. I would recommend this book this book because it is a story that tells about a Japanese boy and his travels. It is such a detailed story that will keep you reading for hours.

 

I would recommend this book to young adult readers. Young adults can sort of picture it because Manjiro is fourteen, but readers did not live in the 1800's. The plot is pretty easy to understand, but sometimes it was hard to tell which character is who or which. The vocabulary is at a young adult level, and there aren't many inappropriate words in it. This is still a great book for adults because you learn a lot for it. 

 

This is a true story so the book is very emotional and stern. It is emotional because it goes into Manjiro's thoughts. It is also stern because it is true. There aren't any major exaggerations. Even if you don't like stern books this story makes true events feel like exaggerations. 

 

"Heart of a Samurai" is a very well organized and easy to understand because it shows the dates when events happened. There are lots of twists and suspense you don't see coming. The characters are realistic because they are based off the true story. You can picture yourself as one of the characters. You really feel their pain, happiness, joy, etc. The author did a great job doing that and I applaud her for that. The conclusions of the story is pretty satisfying, but I wished it continued. I mean who doesn't if it is a good book. Even thought the story is true, it has a lesson which is, follow your heart and it will take you to amazing places. 

 

This book has a great setting, plot, and characters. It's tale is unbelievable and so amazing to be true. Manjiro survives with all odds against himself. I'd recommend this touching story for or to anyone with a love for history or love just for and outstanding book. It is a great story and a must read.