Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Captain Whitfield returned from his trip to New York with his new wife, Albertina. Her face crinkled up so much when she smiled that her twinkly blue eyes almost disappeared in her round cheeks. She smiled a lot, and Manjiro liked her right away.

A farm was procured; a fine house built, with many rooms, glass windows, and carpets made out of the wool of sheep. Manjiro had a room to himself, with land to roam and farm animals to tend, a stream to fish, and-just like a real samurai-a horse to ride, a pleasure he never would have been allowed in Japan. Like a character in a fairy tale, Manjiro found himself transformed from a poor fisherman into a prince.