The Arrow Catcher

In 1948, young Jonathan Lusk’s life was perfect—a big Boston house, swimming pool, summers on the Cape. His father was a Nobel Prize–winning Harvard professor and his mother the beautiful only child of Boston socialites. When his parents get caught in the middle of the growing rift between Arab and Jewish faculty over the creation of the State of Israel, Jonathan’s life is turned upside down. He soon finds himself in Japan, living with his grandfather, the former American ambassador and a judge on the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunals. American opulence and comfort is abruptly replaced by subtle Japanese elegance and traditional austerity. The boy is thrust into a life among strangers and forced to navigate his way through a new country, foreign customs, unfamiliar language, and ultimately political intrigue that will threaten his life. This suspenseful story, one of personal survival, is a testament to a young boy's perseverance and to human courage and loyalty, which are sometimes found in unexpected places.

Jim Mather graduated from Stanford University with a degree in communications and minor in creative writing. He went on to receive a master';s degree from Stanford in education and reach PhD candidacy in the same subject. He has published hundreds of articles in various periodicals, including years as a columnist. He spends his days writing, teaching, and hiking along the Big Sur Coast, where he lives with his wife, Diane, and his dog, Mira.