Review: Book: The Last Cherry Blossom- Kathleen Burkinshaw

Title: The Last Cherry Blossom

Series: Standalone

Author’s Name: Kathleen Burkinshaw

Publisher: Sky Pony

Genre:  Children’s Fiction

Page Count: 240 Pages

ISBN: 978-1634506939

Author or Book Website: kathleenburkinshaw.comkathleenburkinshaw.com

Link to Amazon purchase page: The Last Cherry Blossom

Link to Goodreads: The Last Cherry Blossom

Release Date: N/A

How I Got the Book: Review Copy

Summary of the Book:

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 Japan’s fate is not entirely clear, with any battle losses being hidden from its people. 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 bomb hits 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.

My Personal Review: I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is one of those books that just pulls at the hearts strings of all who read it. It follows Yuriko as a young girl who is trying to survive in the world that is just the end of WWII. The fate of Japan is uncertain at this time and she goes through a lot of emotional stages for there is a lot being hidden from the people by the Emperor. I love the Japan culture and getting to see if from Yuriko’s POV made it even more amazing. The wearing of the Kimonos and food and other traditions. It gave me a peek into the world at that time. I am trying to put into words what this novel made me feel and it is hard for emotions are felt and sometimes it is hard to write that down. I don’t thing war or nuclear weapons are the answer to anything. I loved this book beyond words.

My Rating of the Book: 5 Stars