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Samurai of Gold Hill Yoshiko Uchida 128 pages (5.25 x 8.25), with 10 b&w illustrations A boy who lost everything follows his dreams in a strange new land—gold rush California. Here is a book based on a true, if almost forgotten, incident in California history: the story of the Wakamatsu colony, a Japanese society near Sacramento founded by exiles from the wars that wracked Japan and devoted to growing tea and cultivating mulberry for silkworms. The year is 1869 and young Koichi dreams of becoming a samurai like his father. But when their clan is defeated along with the Shogun in a fierce battle, he suddenly finds himself going to America to become a farmer. Even there Koichi and his father cannot escape confrontation, however, as hostile miners bring tragedy to Wakamatsu. It is impossible not to get caught up in Koichi’s own hopes, fears, and joys as he makes a difficult decision worthy of the noblest samurai. |
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"Notable for its sharply realized 1869 background (both Japan and California) and for its sympathetic inside view of one boy’s adaptation to a new life."—Kirkus Reviews "A moving narrative of courage and patience in the face of adversity."—Booklist "The story has a brisk pace and a warmth in its relationships, especially in Koichi’s growing understanding of his father and the other colonists."—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books |
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Winner of the California Book Award Medal |
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Yoshiko Uchida (1921–1992) was born in Alameda, California, and grew up in Berkeley. She is the author of many books, including Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family, and Journey to Topaz. |
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© Heyday Books, 2005 |