Survival

In One Thousand Paper Cranes the concept of fundamental survival is at the forefront. The story unfolds in August 1945 as the Axis Powers are facing defeat and World War II is coming to a conclusion. Germany and Italy are losing the war in Europe and Japan is failing on the Pacific front. The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor not quite four years before. It would, as it turned out, prove to be a huge tactical mistake. Even though the Allied Forces were emerging victorious, the US wanted to put a period on it. And, an element of revenge for the Hawaii assault cannot be discounted.

When the Enola Gay, a US B-29 bomber, released its deadly cargo over Hiroshima on that bright clear blue day in August, 1945, the world would never be the same for hundreds of thousands of Japanese people. Although their military was at war with...