Book overview
Herman dreamed of adventure. So did Manjiro. Both were desperate to support their families. But neither imagined the heave-ho of a whaling ship could cost them their lives. Within days of each other, two fatherless boys push off to sea in search of adventure and livelihood. One is from a young country open and free, the United States. The other is from an ancient country strict and closed, Japan. By way of the whaling industry that brought light to the world, they both dive head-first into each other's dangerous and exotic worlds. They never dreamed the wake of their plunge would still lap at history's feet today. Whale Boys: The True Adventures of Melville and Manjiro is a historical adventure novel in verse. It details the intersecting lives of Herman Melville, who would go on to write Moby Dick, and Nakahama (John) Manjiro, who would go on to provide English translations and advice to the Council of Nobles in Edo for the peaceful and successful opening of Japan following Commodore Matthew Perry's 1853 arrival in Edo Bay.
