Looking at the cover, I thought it would be more like a graphic novel but it isn't. This is a true story wrapped in fiction, a historical fiction novel. Manjiro was lost at sea off the coast of Japan in 1841. He and his friends get picked up by an American whaling ship. This story tells of the how Manjiro becomes a 'friend' of the John Howland's Captain (John Whitfield), the Howland is a whaling ship, he learns to live in America for a short time, goes to school, earns enough money to get back to Oahu to find his friends then sails back to Japan. Once back in Japan he and his friends were treated like spies. The story ends in 1851. I don't want to give away the story but there is so much more to learn about Manjiro.
Manjiro's helps to open Japan to trading with whaling ships, helps America and Japan to be 'friends'. Once again this kind of history isn't taught in US History classes.
As I said it wouldn't be a book for me to pick up and read, but I have read it and it is a good read. Once again enough history in it to make you wonder how we got to today. Themes that run through this include bullying, racial ignorance, environmental issues with the extinction of whales and the short tailed albatross for its feathers. There is a mention of Herman Melville sailing on a whaling ship to Japan, to information to write Moby Dick, as Manjiro was sailing to America. So there is lots of history dates, to think soon after Manjiro left America, we would be fighting a Civil War.
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