The Shogun's Daughter

"The Shogun's Daughter" by Robert Ames Bennet is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. The story is set in the mid-19th century and follows the adventures of Worth Adams, a midshipman in the United States Navy, as he embarks on a journey that intertwines with Japanese history and culture during a time of significant change. The novel introduces themes of honor, cultural exchange, and the complexities of identity, alongside a compelling narrative woven through the eyes of its protagonist and his interactions with various characters, including the noble Yoritomo. The opening of the novel establishes Worth Adams as a young midshipman who feels the weight of his stagnating career in the navy and longs for adventure. This longing leads him to take a position aboard the clipper ship "Sea Flight", where he forms a bond with the ship's captain, Downing, who has aspirations to navigate to the Japanese islands. As the ship sets sail towards Kagoshima Bay, the narrative sets the stage for the impending collision of Western and Eastern cultures, as well as the personal discoveries that await Adams. The exploration of familial legacy through references to his ancestor Will Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan, adds depth to his quest as he seeks to connect with his heritage while navigating the waters between these two disparate worlds. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Robert Ames Bennet (1870–1954) was an American writer of westerns and science fiction. Early in his career Bennet wrote short stories, drama scripts, and novels for a variety of genres under the pen name Lee Robinet. By the 1930s he was primarily a western writer, penning such stories as Caught in the Wild, Go-Getter Gary, and Guns on the Rio Grande. Several of his novels were made into films, including "Finders Keepers" and "Out of the Depths". His Thyra: A Romance of the Polar Pit is considered a classic of the Lost World genre and is listed in 333: A Bibliography of the Science-Fantasy Novel a collection of the best efforts in Science-Fantasy up to and including 1950.