Heart of a Samurai / Margi Preus / 301 pages

In 1841 Manjiro, a 14 year old Japanese boy, and his fishing companions were stranded on a deserted island and near death before being rescued by an American whaling ship.  This is a story, based on a real person who helped to bridge the culture gaps of two very different countries.  Manjiro, who became known as John Mung, was an extraordinary person who spent nearly 12 years away from his country asking questions, wondering how he could change the world, serving six years on a whaling ship and missing his family.   He was finally able to return to Japan where he was imprisoned for two years as a spy before finally being re-united with his family.  In the end he became a samurai and helped his country to understand what was beyond Japan.  Well worth the reading and still very relevant today as we all are finding out more about each other.  The author includes historical notes and suggestions for more reading.