Saburo: The Saga of a Teenage Samurai in 17th Century Japan

The saga of Saburo the teenage samurai are true-to-life stories of a young boy who opts to become a roving shugyo-sha (shuu-g'yoh-shah), or "samurai in training," rather than serve a feudal lord, leading him to extraordinary adventures that bring out the culture of his times. Each story is filled with cultural and historical facts that reveal both negative and positive elements in the lives of the samurai class, with Saburo surmounting those that are negative and eventually finding a master who explains the essence and the purpose of life. The stories are filled with insights and are both an educational and an inspirational read for young people interested in knowing more about other cultures.