House of the Red Fish

Prisoners of the Empire #3

by Graham Salisbury

1943, one year after the end of Under the Blood-Red Sun , Tomi’s Papa and Grandpa are still under arrest, and the paradise of Hawaii now lives in fear—waiting for another attack, while trying to recover from Pearl Harbor. As a Japanese American, Tomi and his family have new enemies everywhere, vigilantes who suspect all Japanese. Tomi finds hope in his goal of raising Papa’s fishing boat, sunk in the canal by the Army on the day of the attack. To Tomi, raising Papa’s boat is a sign of faith that Papa and Grandpa will return. It’s an impossible task, but Tomi is determined. For just as he now has new enemies, his struggle to raise the boat brings unexpected allies and friends.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Asian American, Teen, Middle Grade

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 25, 2006

About the author

Graham Salisbury comes from a 100-year line of newspapermen, all associated with Hawaii's morning paper, the Honolulu Advertiser. Although a career as a newsman could have been possible, Salisbury chose to imagine rather than report. "I enjoy writing about characters who might have been. To me, exploring fictional themes, situations, and lives is a quietly exhilarating experience. There are times when completely unexpected happenings take place as my fingertips walk the keyboard, things that make me laugh or get all choked up or even amaze me."
Salisbury's drive to write about the emotional journey that kids must take to become adults in a challenging and complicated world is evident throughout his work. Says the author: "I've thought a lot about what my job is, or should be as an author of books for young readers. I don't write to teach, preach, lecture, or criticize, but to explore. And if my stories show characters choosing certain life options, and the possible consequences of having chosen those options, then I will have done something worthwhile."

His books -- Eyes of the Emperor, Blue Skin of the Sea, Under the Blood-Red Sun, Shark Bait, Jungle Dogs, Lord of the Deep, Island Boyz and his short stories, too -- have been celebrated widely with praise and distinguished awards. Graham Salisbury, winner of the PEN/Norma Klein Award, grew up on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii. Later, he graduated from California State University, Northridge, and received an MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University. In fact, he was a member of the founding faculty of Vermont College's highly successful MFA program in Writing for Children, now the Union Institute & University.

Other important things to know about this author: He worked as the skipper of a glass-bottom boat, as a deckhand on a deep-sea charter fishing boat, and as an Montessori elementary school teacher. His
rock-and-roll band, The Millennium, had a number one hit in the Philippines, which he composed. He once surfed with a shark, got stung by a Portuguese man-of-war (several times!), and swam for his life from a moray eel. Believe it or not, he didn't wear shoes until the sixth grade and never saw snow until he was nineteen. Graham Salisbury now lives with his family in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to “ Under the Blood Red Sun”. This one picks up in 1943, and centers mainly on Tomi’s attempts to free his father’s sunken fishing boat from the place where it was axed. Underlying themes about friendship, family bonds, and damaging racism run strongly throughout.
A must-read follow up to the first book, that’s as good as its predecessor!

[Tori Tecken · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars.

Okay, honestly the reason this got knocked down to 3.5 instead of 4 stars was because of Keet Wilson. Halfway through the book I was ready to chuck it across the room. He is an infuriating antagonist, and not in a good way.

Even though Salisbury gives us a little bit of a "he's a boy with daddy issues and is trying to make his father proud of him", it wasn't nearly enough for me to feel like he was more than a villain who is evil simply because he's supposed to create conflict... every ten pages.

I love Salisbury's writing style and I am obsessed with the little motley crew of boys at the center of the story. Mose and Rico are fabulous and I love Rico's fighting spirit and Mose' good natured ribbing. I love Billy's quiet loyalty. And I love Tomi's struggle between upholding his family's honor by being the bigger man or upholding it by standing up for himself.

I love Grampa Joji's gruff tenacity. I thought Mama was a better developed character in this book as well, and I liked her much better. I also liked the character development of Jake (Billy's brother) now that he is separated from Keet.

But Keet's ridiculous meddling and his ability to summon a slightly unbelievable number of young men to intimidate Tomi's crew got old really, really fast.

Still a great book, but I'm hoping that Keet isn't as infuriating in the next book. I'm guessing he is.

[Stephen Pesicek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graham Salisbury strikes again with Tomi and House of the Red Fish. Following the events of the previous book, Under the Blood-Red Sun, the plots flows and intertwines so smoothly connecting plot point to plot point like a "connect the dots" page in a child's coloring book. House of the Red Fish is the type of story where you can get immersed in it so easily, and by the time you put it down, you're already at the end of the book. It's actually quite a fun read, it feels like you're there right alongside Tomi and his friends, which is a nice little bonus. As far as writing goes, Salisbury seems to be in complete control of this book. Yes, this book is somewhat lengthy for what it is, but honestly, I can't imagine getting rid of a single sentence. Everything in this book works hand-in-hand to carry on the story. The characters, the setting, the events, especially the climax as well. There's even a little peak in tension near the end of the book too, which I enjoyed. With a title like House of the Red Fish, I didn't expect a whole lot of humor to come from a book of historical fiction, but oh, was I wrong. Salisbury is a fantastic writer, and it feels like everything came naturally to him while writing this book.

[Alexis B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely stunning book! Award-winning author, Graham Salisbury’s, “House of the Red Fish” intensely captures life for a young Japanese teen boy, Tomi Nakaji, in Honolulu after the attack at Pearl Harbor. His best friend Billy, other friends, and close family members are all his main supports throughout the story as times get exciting and tough. I’m so glad that I picked out this book because it actually really surprised me. I came across it when I was at a small book sale and the cover caught my eye the first thing I saw it. I never thought that it would be as great as it turned out to be.

The whole book is told out of the perspective of Tomi himself and reveals how he’s seeing everything as it happens. After the bombing, Tomi and his family were discriminated against for being Japanese. And because of that, his father, a fisherman, was arrested and taken to a military camp to be investigated and patrolled. This had a big impact on Tomi’s life, he then became the man in the house and had to care for his mom and his innocent little sister Kimi, which was a hard task for a young thirteen-year-old. Life around the island had all changed too. No one trusted the Japanese anymore, everyone had to carry around gas masks, and the streets became dangerous at night filled with people looking for suspicious activity, usually associated with any Asians. Tomi had to stay strong for his family though through these harsh times all with still missing his dad extremely; but, when he had the idea to bring up his dad’s sunken boat that had been damaged during the attack, his whole attitude towards life changed. Everyone thought he was crazy, but Billy, his grandpa, Ojii- Chan, and some other close friends helped him to attempt to carry out the impossible, dangerous, and possibly illegal attempt. The only problem was that the people that his family worked for and even lived on the property of, the Wilsons, began to get suspicious of what was going on as word carried throughout the whole island. The son of the Wilson family, Keet, despised Tomi, all his friends and family too, threatening to get him arrested, kicked off their property, or even threatening his life, just because he was Japanese. But, Tomi was determined.

In the end, Tomi just wouldn’t give up. Keet constantly sabotaging him and causing fights, set him back a little, but throughout the book, he thinks about what his father had always taught him and with all the help of the amazing people that he met along the way, mostly with the help of his cranky old grandpa Ojii-Chan, he was finally able to miraculously get the boat out of the water, bringing his father’s passion back to life. He changed as a person and became so much closer with his friends and community, showing that not all Japanese are up to no good and showing Keet who’s the bigger man and what Japanese, in particular, are capable of. This was a perfect way to end the book, it was so powerful and full of enlightenment. It was an ideal good guys always win and bad guys always lose scenario, which everyone is familiar with. Out of all the great things though, one of my favorite parts of “House of the Red Fish” is when Tomi finally sticks up to Keet during a fight. Keet had stolen one of Tomi’s most precious family's heirloom, a katana, and had been bending it slightly right in front of him, almost to the point where it was about to snap. Even though Tomi’s dad had always told him never to fight, he just couldn’t watch a symbol of his family be snapped in half, so he went punching, scaring Keet away and having all the guys on Keet's side join Tomi in the end. It was a very ironic and basic fight, but the way that it played out after months of torture from Keet, was just perfect and made an excellent power shift that was evident for Tomi. It was definitely inspiring and changed how you saw him.

This book was phenomenal and will stun everyone who reads it! Before this, it would definitely not have been the kind of book that I would have ever read, but it really surprised me. It had so much drama, passion, and heartfelt lessons with a little bit of history out there that it’s a book for anyone and everyone. I would recommend it to all! Graham Salisbury also wrote a book before this, “Under the Blood-Red Sun”, a sequel to this one. This was one of the books of the year for me and to anyone who’s willing to try something new that will blow them away and give them an impassioned inside look of life after Pearl Harbor and of dreams coming true for those who work hard. I truly loved the “House of the Red Fish”!

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of the series, House of the red fish, is by Graham Salisbury and is about a young american named Tomi with japanese parents in 1940s Hawaii. After the last book, the bombing of pearl harbor, the racism, Tomi decides to bring up his father’s fishing boat, which was sunk after the attack. Because of this, his landlord's son, keet, is back at it again, screwing everything up he even takes the family katana. One theme of this book is about friendship, as stated in the review for book one, but another one is the virtue of patience.this is shown in the struggle between keet and Tomi over the Family katana. After Keet steals it, Tomi neeeeeeeeds it back, but he must wait till the right moment, which is at the end. He shows patience (he needs to learn) in a conversation talking about the katana on page 193, “‘What you did? Took it home?’ ‘I left it there. Mama said she could be accused of stealing and get fired.’” which confirms this theory confirming patience.

[Laurel Deloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young Adult book, with bad guys, but more good guys than bad. Also the grumpy Grandpa, the hard-working Mother, the Father taken to a Japanese Prison Camp, the teenage son who tries and completes the task of saving his Fathers fishing boat. Many messages.

Reviewer: 1943, one year after the end of Under the Blood-Red Sun, Tomi’s Papa and Grandpa are still under arrest, and the paradise of Hawaii now lives in fear—waiting for another attack, while trying to recover from Pearl Harbor. As a Japanese American, Tomi and his family have new enemies everywhere, vigilantes who suspect all Japanese. Tomi finds hope in his goal of raising Papa’s fishing boat, sunk in the canal by the Army on the day of the attack. To Tomi, raising Papa’s boat is a sign of faith that Papa and Grandpa will return. It’s an impossible task, but Tomi is determined. For just as he now has new enemies, his struggle to raise the boat brings unexpected allies and friends.

[Zaida · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the continuation of Graham Salisbury's first book from this series, Under the Blood Red Sun. I wasn't even aware that there were four books to this series! I found books 2-4 and loved them. I enjoyed this book in particular, returning to O`ahu with Tomi, his family and friends in the midst of WWII. I thought the pick up of his story about a year after December 7, 1941 felt seamless, moving forward with Tomi and where he is, with his father interned and family still under scrutiny because they're of Japanese descent.

What I enjoyed about this book is the stress of familial duty Tomi shows to his father by his undeterred quest in resurrecting his father's fishing boat. Having grown up in Hawai`i in a Japanese household, this is something I can absolutely relate to. Especially with nisei grandparents, who lived through WWII in the islands, I felt a deep connection to Tomi and his struggles, just like in the first book.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I really like using Under the Blood-Red Sun for my WWII unit with students, this book was a little disappointing. It continues the tale of Tomi, Billy and the others but has much less tension than the first book. This book concerns itself with Tomi trying to save his dad's sampan, fishing boat, so that it will be ready for his father if/when he returns. He can't do anything to change the continued racism against the Japanese around Pearl Harbor so he concentrates on achieving this goal to give himself some purpose. While there are many challenges he faces and it is a good tale of growing up and into responsibility, I simply didn't enjoy it as much as the first.

[Dalia Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is astounding. I love how in the book they talk more about what Japanese underwent during World War II and how they were treated. The protagonist, Tomi has a friend who is white and gets made fun of because he's friends with a "jap". This action-packed book is amazing, it goes into depth on the thoughts of the Japanese at that time and also, what they had to go through just so people won't think they were dangerous people. Overall, this book has a significant message to all.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not have a lot of thoughts about this book. I did enjoy looking at the perspective from Hawaii post Pearl Harbor yet still duing WWII. The mechanics of the book - plot, characters, etc, - did not make a significant impact either way although the space I put between reading the halves of the book (I picked up a different one for a reading challenge partway through) probably did not help. Overall though, this was a solid story. See my youtube channel (linked in my profile) for more in-depth thoughts.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that middle school students could easily read to understand a bit about the experience of different groups that lived in Hawaii during WWII and what people had to endure. This book gives hope about how different groups can come together and how individuals and groups can differ, evolve and change over the course of time.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a while since I read Under the Blood-Red Sun, and I didnt realise how much I'd forgotten, but with a little prompting it came back to me. I like how this book isnt your typical war book - it delves into life after the bombing and how the view towards the Japanese people changed and distrust started. It's a real book, and while it easnt exciting, I found it was informative

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute book. It was great to see the teamwork and friendships established throughout an incredibly stressful and harrowing time. I loved the development of Tomi with his grandfather and his resilience against his enemies. It was truly projection in the end. Very easy read while I was constantly being distracted at work, so it was easy to jump right back in.

[Sujit Thummala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book grabbed my attention and when I was reading this book it felt like I was watching a movie.

[Nicholas Barnhardt]

this was a pretty good book i loved that this was about the boy trying to survive in a world where its corrupted with war

[Missy Camilleri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really grew on me. I think the broken English threw me off, but the friendships in the story won me over. 3.5/5 stars

[Ryusei Ueno · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to tell the side of How Japanese people felt and thought during the war.

[Ohia Kauhane · Rating 5 out of 5]

similar to blue skin of the sea, but takes place in the war at pearl harbor. Awsome.

[Leo Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, with Tomi struggling to get his boat up with his friends, Keet's constant interruptions, and Grandpa's constant shenanigans

[Keerthana P.]

A book I have recently been reading is The House of RedFish. The House of Redfish is a book that you can't put down once you start and is a story of an amazing story of the life of a Japanese-American boy in Hawaii after Pearl Harbour. Tomi Nakaji’s life is upside down. More than a year ago when Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, Tomi’s father was shot, injured, and arrested off of his fishing boat. Even worse is that Tomi’s grandpa was also taken into custody. Facing the hard life of living in a shack on the property for which his mother works as a housekeeper, Tomi finds comfort in going and visiting his father’s fishing boat, which the U.S. sunk in the river along with other boats. Life is very tough for Tomi, who is constantly bullied and picked on by the landlord’s son, Keet Wilson. One day, when Keet makes it clear that he Tomi can't raise the boat, Tomi decides that that is exactly what he wants to do (ignoring Keets threats). Along with a group of friendship Tomi starts to plan out ways to raise the boat despite constant threats from Keet. But as they struggle to figure out a way, Tomi realizes that that may be their smallest problem yet.
One thing I really liked about this book is the ongoing suspense. The author manages to keep the reader engaged throughout the book without letting them down for even one moment, using captivating imagery and Japanese words. Another thing that I really enjoyed about this book is the characterization of Keet Wilson. I really like how the author chose to portray him as the so called cool guy who bullies others and threatens them to cover up his own fears and insecurities. One thing however that could have been better is the fact that the book ends at a cliff hanger. Although it confirms that they bring the boat up, they never say if Tomi’s father is released from prison. I hope that there will be a sequel that tells the rest of Tomi’s story.

A group that I think will like this book is people who like page turners that at the same time are realistic and not fantasy/murder mysteries. This is the first time I have really enjoyed a book this much in a long time and this book has really helped me start to appreciate historical/realistic fiction. I also think that this book will appeal to people who emotionally connect to the book they are reading. To those kind of people, this book is an absolute treat filled with love, loss, strength, and courage. This book takes readers through a journey that has a powerful and lasting impact on them and their lives. I hope this book is something you enjoy just as much as I did

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely great book about the post-Pearl Harbor time in Hawaii, and how it affected people of Japanese ancestry living in Hawaii.

This part isn't from the book, but it's necessary background. The U.S. gathered up all the persons of Japanese ancestry (PJAs) on the West Coast shortly after the start of the war and shipped them to assembly centers (with families sometimes living in horse stalls), and then on to desert areas or other similarly nasty areas to live in tarpaper shacks. Some 110,000 to 120,000 people were gathered up and shipped out. These people were not charged with anything; they were not put on trial, nor found guilty of anything.

They were just gathered up and shipped to places surrounded by barbed wire, armed soldiers, and, in one case, tanks.

The main character in this novel is Tomi Nakaji, a PJA, who was 13 in 1941. The story takes place a couple of years later. His father and grandfather had both been put in holding areas shortly after the war started.

His father was a fisherman, and his boat was strafed by U.S. planes, and his helper killed. Shortly thereafter, Tomi's father and grandfather were arrested and taken away. His grandfather had homing pigeons, and all of them were killed.

Tomi wants to bring up his grandfather's boat which was sunk by the military. This sets up a series of events which happens again and again in the book, as Tomi and his friends are attacked by a bunch of white thugs, headed by a kid named Keet.

Tomi's grandfather has a stroke and, after being in the hospital for a while, is finally allowed to go home.

Tomi and his friends start bringing up small things from the boat, but Keet and his punk gang steal things. Keet is a punk in the worst sense of the word, and a total coward at that.

Anyhow, Tomi's grandfather ends up with a girlfriend, and various things happen related to trying to bring up the boat, including a final major showdown between Keet and a whole bunch of guys who plan to attack Tomi and the few kids he has with him who have a way to bring the boat up enough to get it hauled away and fixed.

All their efforts, of course, are opposed by Keet and his group of thugs, and it all ends up in a major showdown, two groups facing off against each other, Military Police, and Fumi and her friends from her tattoo parlor.

An excellent book.

[Adrian Km · Rating 4 out of 5]

House of the Red Fish by Graham Salisbury
Written by Adrian Keller-Miller
House of the Red Fish, the sequel to Under the Blood Red Sun, continues the story of Tomi Nakaji’s struggles after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Tomi’s family immigrated to the United States from Japan, and now that Pearl Harbor has been attacked, there are a lot more people in Hawaii that dislike Japanese. Tomi is now a 15 year old boy, and is living with his Mom, younger sister, and grandfather who recently returned home after having a stroke. His father’s location is unknown to them, but their best guess is that he is being held somewhere in Texas. The book is a work of historical fiction that was written in 2006. It is part of the Prisoners of the Empire series.
This story is focused on Tomi’s efforts to try and raise his father’s fishing boat from the canal where it was sunk by the U.S. Navy. The boat was sunk because the Navy feared that Japanese fishing boats working in the Hawaiian waters were actually being used to take fuel out to Japanese submarines. Tomi, with the help of friends, is able to make progress bit by bit to salvage the boat. However, his efforts are continually challenged by a boy named Keet Wilson and his friends who are all part of the junior Business Men Military Training Corps (BMMTC). It’s tough for Tomi to deal with the bullying from Keet because his Tomi’s Mom cleans the house of the Wilson family, and his family lives on the Wilson’s property. The story leaves you hanging at the end, and knowing that the next book in the Prisoners of the Empire series switches points of view, the conclusion to Tomi’s story and what happens to his father may never be known.
I think the author did a good job of telling the story and keeping the readers in suspense. I would recommend reading Under the Blood Red Sun before reading this book in order to understand it better.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been over a year since I read Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salibury, which is a totally awesome book. I had forgotten how much I loved the writing style of this author. I love the tension in this story. Living in Hawaii and being a Japanese American must have really been horrible during WWII. Every white person must have looked at them with total distrust.

I cherish the characters in House of the Red Sun. Tomi and his best friend Billy were great. With Keet, a bully, I wanted to pop him in the nose. What a twit he is. He just needed to feel like a man so he could prove to his father that he is a good son. It sure is horrible when a parent doesn't pay any attention to their own child. I guess negative attention is better than no attention at all.

I highly enjoyed how Tomi and his friends went about trying to raise the sunken sampan. The characters are all well written and the pace of the story is perfect. To say I loved this book doesn't even come close. I adore this book. Excellent all the way around.

All I can say is "Bravo" to Mr. Salibury for created such a wonderful tale in House of the Red Sun and giving it to the world for all to read about. All I know is that I need to pick up more book by this author. He is a top-notch writer and knows his history.

I rated this book a 10 out of 10.

[Dotty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. Riveting suspense, vivid historical rendering coupled with graphic descriptions of the setting. Characters to love:
Tomi - courage and honor and the loyalty of his friends
Billy -- Tomi’s white friend who sees no color or ethnic barriers
Tomi’s mother --earning a living caring for a family prejudiced against Japanese Americans
Tomi’s grandfather -- honorable, stubborn, and loving in his own crabby way

Tomi’ Nakaji’s father was arrested after Pearl Harbor and his fishing boat sunk. Tomi dreams of raising the boat from it’s watery grave. The heroic physical effort needed to raise the boat become small compared to the hatred of anti Japanese vigilantes who thwart his every move.

Hawaii after Pearl Harbor was a place of fear. Fear of another attack, and American fear of Japanese Americans.

[Salsabrarian]

Sequel to "Under the Blood-Red Sun." Over a year after Pearl Harbor was bombed, Tomi is man of the house, with his father and grandfather still war prisoners. He is sick about the fact that his father's fishing boat lies at the bottom of a canal, sunken by the Army to prevent Japanese fishermen from aiding the enemy. He wants to raise the boat so that it will be ready for his Dad when he is released from jail. But Tomi is only in 9th grade. Without money or equipment how can he manage the big job of recovering the boat? On top of that, neighbor Keet Wilson is breathing down his neck, keeping his eye on Tomi because he's Japanese. It's the support of friends like Billy, Rico and Mose, and generous adults such as Billy's father and Fumi that help Tomi achieve the goal of raising the boat. Almost seemed to come together for Tomi too easily.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book helped understand a bit the hardships that the bombing of pearl harbor brought. The coincidence about reading this for the book club i attended this year at my school was that towards the end of the curriculum we started studying WWII and i was able to contribute a lot to our discussions and debates. The boy also made me understand even more racial issues and the tolls it takes on us. the continuation of this book "under the blood red sun" if im not mistaken is a good read so i've been told. The book was very well-written and written from the heart

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's year after Pearl Harbor and 13 yr old Tomi is the man of the house-his father and grandfather are prison camp-they are Japanes. Tomi has the idea to raise the sunken fishing boat of his fathers so when his father is released he can resume his job/living. But with the war there is a shortage of materials that Tomi and his friends need to accomplish this. Also the neighbor boy, Keet (white) is trying to stop him, he thinks he will use the boat for bad/spy type things. A great book about Hawaii, the mistrust of the Japanese, and a young man trying to do a man's job.

[Leeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as riveting as the first book about Tomi, this story continues with the theme of polar opposites--unfounded hatred and intense loyalty. The integrity of Tomi and his family garners many good people to rally around his goal of raising his father's fishing boat from the canal where it was sunk. At the same time Keet Wilson becomes more desperate to destroy Tomi and his family. While the book alludes to Keet's personal problems it never identifies a clear motive for his anger and one-man vendetta against Tomi and his family.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally like Graham Salisbury's books but for some reason, even though this one is short, it took me forever to get through it. There seemed to me to be an over-abundance of stock characters, i.e. the grumpy but wise grandfather, the white kid with a good heart, the white kid with power issues, the two Hawaiian kids who add humor, etc. etc. If you're looking for a more satisfying historical fiction of this time in US history, go to Salisbury's Under the Eyes of the Emperor.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripped by anti Japanese sentiment in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tomi attempts to do the impossible by raising his father's sunken boat. Surrounded by friends and people he barely knows, Tomi's quest brings him closer to his grandfather and his heritage. Tomi struggles with his own self doubts and with the real threat of his neighbor turned enemy Keet.