This was, for me, a welcome return to form for Preus. I very much enjoyed [b: Heart of a Samurai|7739968|Heart of a Samurai|Margi Preus|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328813216s/7739968.jpg|10546096] and her other historical fiction work. This is a companion to that named title, although it is not necessary to have read that book to enjoy this one. You learn about Yoshi, a boy who wants to be a samurai, and Jack, a ship's boy from America, as the countries meet for the first time to talk about ending Japan's isolation. I loved reading each boy's perspective, and I think it's an excellent title to remind ourselves that different people aren't really that different from us. I also really enjoyed the author's note and bibliography.

I received an advanced reader's copy for free from the publisher in return for a review.