Following the seventieth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this is a new, very personal story to join Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
Yuriko was happy growing up in Hiroshima when it was just her and Papa. But her aunt Kimiko and her cousin Genji are living with them now, and the family is only getting bigger with talk of a double marriage! And while things are changing at home, the world beyond their doors is even more unpredictable. World War II is coming to an end, and since the Japanese newspapers don’t report lost battles, the Japanese people are not entirely certain of where Japan stands. Yuriko is used to the sirens and the air-raid drills, but things start to feel more real when the neighbors who have left to fight stop coming home. When the bombs hit Hiroshima, it’s through Yuriko’s twelve-year-old eyes that we witness the devastation and horror.
This is a story that offers young readers insight into how children lived during the war, while also introducing them to Japanese culture. Based loosely on author Kathleen Burkinshaw’s mother’s firsthand experience surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, The Last Cherry Blossom hopes to warn readers of the immense damage nuclear war can bring, while reminding them that the “enemy” in any war is often not so different from ourselves.
Genre: Children's Fiction
Yuriko was happy growing up in Hiroshima when it was just her and Papa. But her aunt Kimiko and her cousin Genji are living with them now, and the family is only getting bigger with talk of a double marriage! And while things are changing at home, the world beyond their doors is even more unpredictable. World War II is coming to an end, and since the Japanese newspapers don’t report lost battles, the Japanese people are not entirely certain of where Japan stands. Yuriko is used to the sirens and the air-raid drills, but things start to feel more real when the neighbors who have left to fight stop coming home. When the bombs hit Hiroshima, it’s through Yuriko’s twelve-year-old eyes that we witness the devastation and horror.
This is a story that offers young readers insight into how children lived during the war, while also introducing them to Japanese culture. Based loosely on author Kathleen Burkinshaw’s mother’s firsthand experience surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, The Last Cherry Blossom hopes to warn readers of the immense damage nuclear war can bring, while reminding them that the “enemy” in any war is often not so different from ourselves.
Genre: Children's Fiction
Praise for this book
"Set in the waning days of World War II Hiroshima, this is an extraordinary story with its universal themes of family, life, and love. Young readers will be entranced with the irrepressible Yuriko and her Japanese traditions, and grieve with her when her childhood is torn apart by the unthinkable. The Last Cherry Blossom shows that wherever they are, all children are the victims of war." - Sandra Dallas
"Kathleen Burkinshaw’s graceful, clean style is a joy to read, and this story, a beautiful tribute to the life of her mother, is one that every young person should read." - Lisa Williams Kline
"A fascinating look at World War II and its tragic conclusion from the point of view of a Japanese girl as she struggles to come to terms with love, loss, and what it means to honor one's heritage and family." - Randall Platt
"Past and future come into unbearable collision in this spellbinding evocation of Japan during the final years of World War Two, which is told through the eyes of an observant twelve-year-old growing up in Hiroshima. A heartbreaking exploration of tradition, family ties and the utter horror of nuclear war, The Last Cherry Blossom is a timely reminder that we forget the reality of total warfare at our peril." - Lydia Syson
"Kathleen Burkinshaw’s graceful, clean style is a joy to read, and this story, a beautiful tribute to the life of her mother, is one that every young person should read." - Lisa Williams Kline
"A fascinating look at World War II and its tragic conclusion from the point of view of a Japanese girl as she struggles to come to terms with love, loss, and what it means to honor one's heritage and family." - Randall Platt
"Past and future come into unbearable collision in this spellbinding evocation of Japan during the final years of World War Two, which is told through the eyes of an observant twelve-year-old growing up in Hiroshima. A heartbreaking exploration of tradition, family ties and the utter horror of nuclear war, The Last Cherry Blossom is a timely reminder that we forget the reality of total warfare at our peril." - Lydia Syson
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Used availability for Kathleen Burkinshaw's The Last Cherry Blossom