This is a very well-written first novel by Margi Preus based on the life of Manjiro, known as John Mung by his American friends, the first Japanese person who set foot in America. The book chronicles about ten years of his life, beginning in 1841 when he was just 14 years old and shipwrecked on a remote island off the coast of Japan with his fellow fishermen. They are rescued by an American whaling ship commandeered by Captain William Whitfield, and so Majiro is flung into an exhilarating, complex adventure on the ocean and across America. He faces the distrust and prejudices of both his fellow Japanese and the Americans, struggles to grasp the English language and adapt to Western culture, and longs to return to his family back home in Japan, where Westerners are not allowed to enter and even Japanese who have left the country face immediate imprisonment for any possible contact with Western influence. He also makes many lifelong friends, has the opportunity to get an education and learn a trade that was not previously offered to him by the strict class system in Japan, and develops a keen understanding of the world due to his unique perspective.
I particularly enjoyed Manjiro's whaling experiences (to be appreciated by lovers of Moby Dick like myself or to kindle a love for the classic in future generations), the keeping with the code of the samurai, and dealing with the culture clash. I was swept along wondering if Manjiro would ever be allowed to return to Japan--by either the Americans or the Japanese--and if he would ever be reunited with his family. Though I knew nothing of Manjiro before I read this book, it does seem to be pretty well researched and offers a remarkable story of a remarkable man. I will be delighted to read further accounts from his life.
