Libby S. (Libratsie) reviewed The Hiroshima Maidens : A Story of Courage, Compassion, and Survival on + 344 more book reviews
A historical and insightful look at an almost forgotten bit of American history. Young ladies who were permanently and severely scarred when the US dropped the atomic bombs on Japan come to the United States for treatment and surgery. I'd never heard of the Hiroshima Maidens until reading this wonderful book. They won my heart.
Patricia C. (PattyJC) reviewed The Hiroshima Maidens : A Story of Courage, Compassion, and Survival on + 23 more book reviews
Rodney Barker takes us from the atomic bomb blast at Hiroshima, through the story of 25 surviving girls who were selected to travel to the United States for reconstructive surgery. The book seems to be a well-balanced relating of the experiences of the so-called "Hiroshima Maidens," seen from several different points of view. It relates the struggles the promoters of the trip had, both with the media (trying to prevent it from becoming a P. R. circus) and with the U. S. State Department (avoiding political pitfalls). This is not a political treatise on the wisdom or folly of nuclear warfare, but a straightforward account of the near-miracles that can happen when individuals decide to care about, and for, other individuals.
