Young Jiro has left his family and gone into apprenticeship at Japan's most famous puppet theater. Set in feudal Japan, this is the story of a young boy trying to survive in the complex world of puppetry, while all around him the people of Japan are starving and beginning to rise up against those who oppress them. A "Robin Hood" type character named Saburo tries to rob the rich and give to the poor to balance the scales a bit in the community. So, Jiro tries to learn his role in the puppet world and watches the lessons learned by the young puppeteers around him, while worrying about the fate of his parents. This is a story about honor and friendship and coming of age. 190 pages Ages 9-13