This middle school historical novel is set during a short span at the end of World War II. The story is generally based upon the author’s mother’s firsthand experiences of World War II in Japan and surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The story is told from the point of a twelve year old, which was the age of Mrs. Burkinshaw’s mother on August 6, 1945, when the atomic bomb exploded on Hiroshima.
Young Yuriko Ishikawa was most content with life in Hiroshima with Papa. Then Aunt Kimiko and little cousin Genji came to live with them. To further complicate the peaceful life of Yuriko, the aunt and her Papa have a double wedding, bringing two more adults into the house. Noise and chaos became more the norm for Yuriko which made her far less comfortable in her own home.
The ways of war were also significantly spread into all areas of Yuriko’s life. The sirens of air-raids, preparation through drills, and the sound of American B-29s flying overhead were a continual kind of noise pollution to her. The Japanese people were kept in the dark about how their country stood in the war, especially when it came to losses versus victories. Despite the necessity of participating in the war effort, Yuriko and her family did their best to keep some semblance of normal in their lives, such as celebrating Oshagatsu (New Year’s) and the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Yuriko is shattered when a family secret is revealed. As if dealing with all of that was not enough, the atomic bomb on Hiroshima devastates the family and the community. Nothing could have prepared them for the total destruction that surrounds them.
Hope does sidle alongside tragedy in this well-written novel. Kathleen Burkinshaw writes with reverence a fictional tale of her mother’s story…the experiences of growing up in Hiroshima and surviving August 6, 1945. She was twelve years old on that day.
At each chapter, there are actual newspaper headlines, propaganda posters, and epigraphs of radio-show transcripts making the story all the more authentic. At the end, you will find a bibliography, a glossary, and statistics about Hiroshima. It dovetails exceptionally well with a middle grade(junior high) unit on Japan during World War II.
Age Range: 11 – 13 Years
Author
Kathleen Burkinshaw has been sharing her mother’s story to middle school history and language arts classes for the past six years. She has been carrying her mother’s story her entire life and feels very honored to share it with the world. She and her family visited Hiroshima in recent years and shares that experience in her presentations to classes. Another part of the presentation includes the effects of nuclear bombs today compared to the atomic bomb in 1945. You can find information regarding all of this on the webpage for this fine debut novel…http://kathleenburkinshaw.com/
She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband. Her daughter is away at college. Kathleen worked in HealthCare Management for more than ten years, but because of the onset of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), she had to let that career go. Writing gives her an outlet for her daily struggle with chronic pain as well as for her love of research and writing. Her blog is @ Creating Through the Pain
Book Information
- ISBN-13: 9781634506939
- Publisher: Sky Pony Press
- Publication date: 08/02/2016
- Pages: 240
- Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.10(d)
- Publication date: 08/02/2016
Sounds like a wonderful book about a very sad time.
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This sounds like a fascinating book.
Hopping over from the Kid Lit Blog Hop
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Sounds like a powerful story – novels like this are part of how we keep the past alive, so that meaningful, powerful stories and experiences aren’t lost as we move further and further away in time.
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Yes, Jane, you are so right! Thanks for your words.
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This is the first time I am hearing of this novel. Will try to find it in our libraries. Thanks for such a thorough review.
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Thanks for this review. The author has a unique viewpoint.
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Thanks for reminding me about this book. I’ve been wanting to read it, but our library hasn’t had it. Imagine my delight when I went to request it as a purchase item, and I discovered they now have SIX copies!
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SIX…that is amazing. Well, you should not have too long of a wait-list! I am delighted to hear that you have so many. Are there many of Japanese ancestry living in your area? It is a book that has teaching potential. I wonder if teachers do a unit, thus so many copies. That is good because we do not want all forgotten. I am preparing to do a grouping of book reviews next on the paper cranes that the Japanese make (origami) and the relationship to the bombing as well. Most are for a younger group but I do have one for jr high also.
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I would love to read this book. The use of newspaper headlines, posters, and radio-show transcripts is such a great way to weave in history in an interesting way. Thanks for sharing information about the author.
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Sounds like a powerful story. My mother’s side of the family is from Hiroshima so this sounds like it could be their story too. Thanks for sharing at the Kid Lit Blog Hop!
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I didn’t realize that you had family from Hiroshima! Please let me know what your thoughts are after reading The Last Cherry Blossom.
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Dear Linda, thank you! Your kind words touched my heart. I’m so glad my mother’s story resonated with you. ❤
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