Publishers Weekly
06/29/2015
Preus revisits historical Japanese-American relations in a tale that catapults Yoshi, a young servant who longs to wield the sword of a samurai, into a clash of alien powers. When Commodore Perry’s steamships (“Black dragons belching smoke”) arrive in 1853 in an effort to force isolationist Japan into diplomatic relations, the feudal world of Edo Japan is shaken to its core. Yoshi’s master, Hideki, can’t stomach his duties as a samurai, and his bodyguard, Kitsune, blames Yoshi, who fights back and flees for his life. A homeless fugitive, Yoshi finds work with a generous artist, a sandal maker, and finally Manjiro, the hero of Preus’s Newbery Honor–winning Heart of a Samurai. Yoshi’s narrative alternates with that of Jack Sullivan, a cabin boy on Perry’s ship. When Jack is stranded on shore, Yoshi risks everything to hide him from Japanese authorities and rogue samurai whose identities are threatened by a changing social structure. Though her characters lack some of the depth of her previous work, Preus remains adept at meshing fiction with carefully researched history. Ages 10–14. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. (Sept.)
Booklist
"Middle-grade readers eager for adventure with a solid grounding in history will be enchanted."
Booklist
"Middle-grade readers eager for adventure with a solid grounding in history will be enchanted."
AUGUST 2016 - AudioFile
Agile and spirited—narrator James Yaegashi is both of these as he delves into the lives of two 13-year-old boys—Yoshi, a would-be samurai, and Jack, a cabin boy accompanying Commodore Perry on his 1853 voyage to Japan. Yaegashi’s voice is fresh and animated as he deftly switches from one scene to the next, from one boy to the other, and to the moments when he provides background for the time period. For the multitude of supporting characters, ranging from sailors to dignitaries, schemers to artists, Yaegashi creates distinct voices. Lives intertwine, and listeners come away from this adventure with a sense of the magnitude of change awaiting both boys and their countries. A.R. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-05-06
Thirteen-year-old Yoshi is a natural with the sword and relishes the thought of slicing up the hairy, bulbous-nosed barbarian invaders to protect the Sacred Land of the Rising Sun. Japan in 1853 is a fiercely isolationist country, and no one is expecting visitors when American explorer Commodore Perry arrives at Edo Bay with four steamships belching black smoke. The villagers fear an attack, but Perry is instead delivering a letter from U.S. President Millard Fillmore asking for open ports. Yoshi becomes embroiled in the national panic when he's hired as a bodyguard for Manjiro (the hero of Preus' 2011 Newbery Honor Heart of a Samurai), now a Western cultural adviser to the shogun. Yoshi's worldview is further shaken when he finds himself nose to nose with an actual American barbarian—"lowly cabin boy" Jack Sullivan from Perry's ship. Despite Yoshi's rather murderous misgivings, he becomes his enemy's protector and friend—and Jack becomes his—making a good case that xenophobia is often simply a matter of ignorance. Thanks to the lively, warm, and witty storyteller's voice and the vivid, sensuous depictions of the katana swish and kimono swirl of 19th-century Japan, readers will feel immersed in this tumultuous time in Japanese history. As with her earlier book, the pages are liberally decorated with archival images, supplemented by original art by cover artist Yuko Shimizu. Preus spins another suspenseful swashbuckler starring a Japanese boy who finds himself caught between cultures. (author's note, glossary, selected bibliography) (Historical fiction. 9-13)
