I read this today (Spring 2011), and was amazed at how few reviews there are for it!
Preus has created a wonderful trip through the adolescent adventures of a very real man, a Japanese fisherman by birth, who became in a sense a citizen of two disparate nations.
I'll share and move past my only disappointment quickly - the leader tag on the cover trumpets "a true adventure on the high seas." Well, seafaring is important to the story, and there are several different episodes on various voyages and vessels, but they are not weighted more heavily than the rest of the tale, which covers territory from California gold-panning to Imperial interrogation. I was hoping for more high-seas adventure, but the disappointment was mild.
I love the speed and crispness of the narration, skipping past whole months or years at a time, and then pausing for an afternoon of horse-racing or shell-collecting on the beach. I love the non-sentimental look at the differences between American and Japanese cultures of the time, and the downsides and blindsides of each. I love the way that important moral questions are raised, but not allowed to swamp the narrative.
This is a perfect intro to anyone interested in Japanese/American relations, or in Japan at the very ending of her long isolation, or in comparitive culture studies, or simply in the life of an interesting young boy at a tipping-point in history.
Beautiful illustrations (most created by the real-life Manjiro) abound inside the book itself, and a short biography and history lesson, as well as more information about his futher life appear at the ending, along with a note about extinctions and the practice of whaling and of harvesting albatross for their feathers.
The book is divided into very short sections, each beginning with a quote from the Book of the Samurai, and usually accompanied by an illustration as well. These sections are perfectly balanced, breaking up the sections of Manjiro's life into sensible and compact sections.
This one is going on my list for use in history and culture lessons, with very high expectations.
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