Hiroshima By John Hersey

On August 6, 1945, the first ever atomic bomb dropped on a city destroyed Hiroshima. Many accounts of this occurrence have been recorded throughout the years due to the fact it was not only immensely fatal, but also because it was a major turning point for the second World War. Hiroshima by John Hersey tells the story of what happened on that tragic day through the memories of six survivors: Miss Toshinki Sasaki, Dr. Masakazu Fujii, Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura, Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge, Dr. Terufumi Sasaki, and The Reverend Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto. Hersey’s novel has been described as,“This timeless, powerful and compassionate document has become a classic that stirs the conscience of humanity” (The New York Times).

One significant event was the account from Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura, who was a tailor’s widow raising three children by herself. Mrs. Nakamura was a resourceful and devoted citizen. Hersey states that she “had long had a habit of doing as she was told” (Hersey). Her family did survive the attack without any harm, however, she and her daughter, Myeko, began to experience radiation sickness and suffered with it for years. Mrs. Nakamura is the only person’s story accounted that has a family to take care present in the novel. She is also the only

Yes, the book told personal narratives in a unique way which might have made it “unforgettable”, but to say “this is the type of book that your children need to be reading” or that it was “stunning” seems to me to be a bit of hyperbole. It’s not that I did not enjoy the book, but I would not go as far as this reviewer did by any means. Maybe its because im not a history buff, or maybe it’s because Hiroshima is not an occurrence that affected my family or even my country, but nonetheless- I believe that Hiroshima by John Hersey was overall a good read that told very personal interesting stories that did touch a lot of those who read it. Another reviewer