Samurai Rising : the epic life of Minamoto Yoshitsune by Pamela Turner

Yoshitsune was one of Japan's most famous Samurai.  He was bold, reckless, and a fierce and cunning warrior.  This engaging biography recounts his life and the complicated warlord culture of 12th century Japan.  Turner does a good job of making the arcane time period accessible. It is no surprise it won a boat load of awards the year it came out. I especially liked some of her analogies to modern life e.g. when she said that Yoshitsune was like the star quarterback, but his older half brother was like the owner of the team.  Her biography is carefully researched, and she mentions her sources in text and in an author's note at the end.  Medieval Japan was a cruel and violent place, and Turner doesn't shellac any of the graphic details of her heroes' exploits.  This is not a good choice for the squeamish at heart.  It might be a great choice for a teen who loves action video games and is required to read a bio of a historical figure.  (2016, 236 p.)