Michael T. Cibenko

After graduating from The University of Montana in '96, Michael spent four years teaching English in rural southern Japan. During this time he was inspired by the history of Christianity there. His first novel, Masaru, is based on the events of the 17th century Shimabara Rebellion, and the person of Shiro Amakusa, the teenage convert samurai who became a leader in the cause. Michael lives in northwest New Jersey where he has been an educator for the past twenty years.