Book Review" Heart of a Samurai

"Praised as “a timeless tale” by Booklist in a starred review, this Newbery Honor book by Margi Preus explores the cultural divide between the East and West circa 1841. When Manjiro, a Japanese teenager, is thrown from his fishing boat during a storm, he’s rescued by an American whaling ship. Befriending the ship’s captain, Manjiro decides to travel with the crew to Massachusetts. But years later, when Manjiro attempts to return to his homeland, he’s imprisoned as an outsider. “Preus mixes fact with fiction in a tale that is at once adventurous, heartwarming, sprawling, and nerve-racking …”—Publishers Weekly"
 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12282069-the-heart-of-a-samurai

This griping story, wove the material of prejudice, love and honor into the true story of a young boy who became an instrument in opening the borders of Japan to the rest of  the world and  changed the course of their cast system. His inquisitiveness, his determination to honor his family as well as his country, his love of the code of a samurai and desire to become one, his intelligence and desire to learn all he could, his patience and tolerance upheld him through the many adventures, both enthralling, and dangerous, brought honor not only to himself, but his people of Japan as well.  Couldn't put the book down after the first sentence!