The African Samurai : A Novel

The African Samurai : A Novel [ISBN: 9781804366257 / 1804366250 ]
Set in late 16th-century Africa, India, Portugal, and Japan, The African Samurai is a powerful historical novel based on the true story of Yasuke, Japan’s first foreign-born samurai and the only samurai of African descent—for readers of Esi Edugyan and Lawrence Hill.

In 1579, a Portuguese trade ship sails into port at Kuchinotsu, Japan, loaded with European wares and weapons. On board is Father Alessandro Valignano, an Italian priest and Jesuit missionary whose authority in central and east Asia is second only to the pope’s. Beside him is his protector, a large and imposing East African man. Taken from his village as a boy, sold as a slave to Portuguese mercenaries, and forced to fight in wars in India, the young but experienced soldier is haunted by memories of his past.

From Kuchinotsu, Father Valignano leads an expedition pushing inland toward the capital city of Kyoto. A riot brings his protector in front of the land’s most powerful warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga is preparing a campaign to complete the unification of a nation that’s been torn apart by over one hundred years of civil war. In exchange for permission to build a church, Valignano “gifts” his protector to Nobunaga, and the young East African man is reminded once again that he is less of a human and more of a thing to be traded and sold.

After pledging his allegiance to the Japanese warlord, the two men from vastly different worlds develop a trust and respect for one another. The young soldier is granted the role of samurai, a title that has never been given to a foreigner; he is also given a new name: Yasuke. Not all are happy with Yasuke’s ascension. There are whispers that he may soon be given his own fief, his own servants, his own samurai to command. But all of his dreams hinge on his ability to protect his new lord from threats both military and political, and from enemies both without and within.

A magnificent reconstruction and moving study of a lost historical figure, The African Samurai is an enthralling narrative about the tensions between the East and the West and the making of modern Japan, from which rises the most unlikely hero.

[Praise for The African Samurai]:
'Breathtakingly visual with dialogue that’s filled with insights and wisdom … Written with compassion and an authenticity brought on by painstaking research, Shreve is the rarest of writers: one who can evoke varied emotions in the reader with few words and attention to detail. I experienced sixteenth-century Japan like never before despite being a huge fan of the novels of Eric Van Lustbader and the seminal Shogun by James Clavell. Yet, it is Yasuke’s journey that pulls me fully and completely into that world, with a sensitivity that’s unparalleled and which will most certainly guarantee The African Samurai’s stellar position in the literary space.

'Violent, raw, visceral, incisive and deftly plotted, Shreve has given us a hero we did not know we needed. He has given voice to someone who has been silenced throughout history, and in the process he has offered us (the reader) hope. In Yasuke, we have found a hero as broken as he is brave and as strong as he is flawed.

'A necessary tale that’s been masterfully told, and an essential read for lovers of great literature' --Femi Kayode, author of Gaslight.

'Shreve tells an extraordinary story with dramatic intensity, sensitivity, and consummate imagination. Like all the best historical novels, it feels relevant and even essential to our present moment. Of the many admirable things about this novel, perhaps the greatest is Shreve’s feat of breathing life into Yasuke, its central character, and rescuing this remarkable man from obscurity' David Bezmozgis, award-winning author of Immigrant City and The Betrayers

'A complex and deeply moving story . . . that powerfully resonates with our current times. The deftly drawn characters of European, Asian and African origin inhabit a sometimes frightening but ultimately hopeful story due to Shreve’s immense skills at illuminating the power of the human spirit' Jeffrey Colvin, award-winning author of Africville'.

Longlisted for the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.

'Gripping. Fans of Shogun will love it' ---Conn Iggulden.

'Fierce, vivid and richly detailed' ---Daily Mail.

Aventura / Biografia, Autobiografia, Memórias / Comunicação / Drama / Ficção / Geografia / História / História Geral / Jovem adulto / Literatura Estrangeira / Política / Romance / Sociologia / Suspense e Mistério