Shipwrecked: The True Adventures Of A Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg

 

Rhoda Blumberg’s Shipwrecked! was found for 50 cents at the local library here in Metter, Georgia. I’m glad I had the dimes.

I think I’ll hand this to my daughter. She turns 8 next month, but it’s probably a YA book. I think this doesn’t shoot over her head.

Blumberg connects with easily understood content and a collection of good, and stunning artwork done by this non-fiction’s main character, Majiro Nakahama. Other Japanese and American artists contributed, too.

His true and incredible journey from poor fisherman, as a boy, to eventual samurai and college English professor is the stuff of fantasies, but his story is known throughout Japan. It deserves much more attention in the U.S., and other countries.

Majiro spent several years in New England thanks to his good fortune to have been rescued, with his boat mates, by a whaler. He went to school, learned English, and things went his way.

This is not a long book. It’s under 100 pages, but well worth your time, especially if this is all new to you. There are other books about Majiro out there, too. Blumberg professionally lists her sources.

Similar to Majiro’s real storybook-type life, it was just in the right place at the right time for me.