Heart of a Samurai
$15.95; AUGUST; 978-0-8109-8981-8
*STARRED* REVIEW IN PW:
“In picture book author (The Peace Bell) Preus’s excellent first novel, based on the true story of Manjiro Nakahama, Manjiro is 14 in 1841 when he is shipwrecked in a storm.”
“Preus mixes fact with fiction in a tale that is at once adventurous, heartwarming, sprawling, and nerve-racking in its depictions … She succeeds in making readers feel every bit as “other” as Manjiro, while showing America at its best and worst through his eyes.”
SHELF AWARENESS REVIEW:
“Preus (The Legend of the Lady Slipper) takes readers on a page-turning, salty adventure based on a true story about bridging a cultural and geographic divide.”
“Beautifully written and liberally illustrated with Manjiro's own drawings, this impressive novel charts not only a boy's coming of age, but also two countries edging closer to enlightenment.”
*STARRED* REVIEW BY SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:
“Stunning debut novel” … “beautifully articulated”
“Preus places readers in the young man’s shoes… Her deftness in writing is evident in two poignant scenes, one in which Maniro realizes the similarities between the Japanese and the Americans and the other when he reunites with his Japanese family.”
BOOKLIST *STARRED* REVIEW:
“It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story … and it’s precisely this classic structure that gives the novel the sturdy bones of a timeless tale.
“Bracketed by gritty seafaring episodes … the book’s heart is its middle section”
KIRKUS *STARRED* REVIEW:
“Illustrated with Manjiro’s own pencil drawings in addition to other archival material and original art from Tamaki, this is a captivating fictionalized (although notably faithful) retelling of the boy’s adventures.”
“… highly entertaining page-turner”
