The Samurai's Tale by Erik C. Haugaard

Bibliographic information:

Haugaard,  Erik C.  The Samurai’s Tale.  New York: Haughton Mifflin, 1984.  ISBN:0-395-54970-1.

Plot Summary:

            Taro is a young boy whose whole family is killed by rival samurai.  He is spared from death by Lord Akiyama Nobutomo and is made a kitchen servant.  He grows into young adulthood first as a kitchen servant and then as a stable boy.  All of the older boys go off to war, but Taro is kept back.  When his chance to go to war finally comes, he is apprenticed to an old samurai and is responsible for guarding supplies, a less than glorious post.   Taro, renamed Murakami Harutomo, distinguishes himself on marches and during a siege.  He comes to the attention of a number of lords and one lord’s daughter.

            Throughout the war, the hero does his best to prove himself an able warrior and administrator.  Taro is left behind one last time at a recently taken castle and must make preparations for the castle’s supply in case it is besieged.  The castle is besieged and Taro slips out to go and try to get help.  Help is refused and the castle is taken.  Almost everyone Taro knows is killed when the castle is taken.  His love interest, Zakoji Aki-hime, escapes by the help of Taro’s servant.  Taro must return in his most dangerous mission to take her from the castle to safety.   

Critical Evaluation:

This historical background to the book was well researched.  The Author has a good knowledge of samurai culture and the plot flows along at a good and easy pace.  One problem readers might potentially have is with the Japanese names.  The author has placed a list of the central characters in the front of the book in order to allow readers to better follow along.  The book would make a good introduction for a reader interested in Japanese culture during the age of the samurai.  A reader could then possibly go on to such works as Shogun, which are a bit more complicated. 

Reader’s Annotation:

Taro is the sole survivor of his clan and is taken as a servant by a rival warlord.  He grows into a young man and is given increasing responsibility.  He serves his master meritoriously and finds this merit in jobs that do not carry as much glory as the warfare his tasks support.  Taro’s young wisdom is seen as favorable by nobles and one noble’s daughter.  As the war grows fierce Taro seeks to do his duty with honor.  

Information about the author:

            Erik C. Haugaard was born in Denmark in 1923 and spent the first 17 years of his life in that country.  Haugaard fled Europe when the Nazi’s invaded Denmark and he relocated to the United States, and later to Canada to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII.  He moved to the US after the war and attended college.  He married and had 2 children and later lived in Ireland and in his native country, Denmark.

            Haugaard wrote a number of books aimed at young readers. The first book he wrote was Hakon of Rogen’s Saga, which was published in 1963.  This book went on to receive the ALA Notable Book Award.  Haugaard passed away in 2009.

Curriculum Ties:

History/Japanese Culture

Genre:

Historical Fiction

Booktalking Ideas:

1.  Focus on how Taro is made to serve those who killed his family and why he eventually does this willingly.

2.  Talk about how Taro wants to go off to war to prove himself but is initially unsuccessful.

3.  Center the focus on the Japanese culture and how it influences the idea of duty and propriety in the story.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14+

Challenge Issues:

Violence

Challenge Defense Ideas:

1.  Read the book.

2.  Be Familiar with the policy of the ALA and your institution.

3. Make a note of the contents of the work and how they fall in with the collection development policy of your institution and the standpoint of the ALA. 

4. Gain an awareness of the awards, reviews, and criticisms of the work, as well as other works by the same writer.

5. Know the process for materials challenges at your library.

Why did you include this book? :

I have always had an interest in Japan in the age of the samurai, and thought that a story set in this age where a young adult was a central figure would be of some merit.