Hunt For the Bamboo Rat by Graham Salisbury
He is the Bamboo Rat, he has no basic training; no training whatsoever, for Zenji is the perfect spy. He plays his part to a T, for when things get out of control he knows nothing, he has no rank in the military, he is not a soldier, he is a civilian hired by the military to translate Japanese. Being Japanese-American, Zenji can speak both Japanese and American so this is a perfect opportunity for him to help his family financially. It’s 1941 and being transported to the Philippines, Zenji’s life living amongst the military was easy in the beginning as war was just talk. It was entertaining to hear the stories that he heard at the Momo Hotel passing himself as a warehouse worker during the day, spending his spare time talking with the Japanese businessmen in the lobby. Not a political person himself, Zenji world now becomes broader as the men talk about issues he is not aware of. I love how his world expands as his knowledge of the world opens up and he makes acquaintances. His personality is a perfect fit for the job. As fear of war hangs in the air, people are leaving the island and Zenji has a seat but he gives that up. I cringed when I read this as I knew it would mean disaster but I knew from reading that this is the kind of person Zenji was. I don’t think I walked away from the book after this point. Days, weeks and months pass by, it seems like forever since he gave up that seat but I am only the person reading the details of his life after he made that decision and not the one living out the long days that he’s now living. It’s more than I expected, and when I read that it’s based on a true story, I was surprised. The Bamboo Rat, he was more than a spy, much more. I can’t wait to read more of the Prisoner’s of the Empire books.
