SOUL LANTERNS

Nozomi and her friends find a way to share heartbreaking survivor stories of the Hiroshima bombing.

Every Aug. 6, in Hiroshima, Japan, colored lanterns are set afloat down the river, shining in the night. Twenty-five years after the bombing, 12-year-old Nozomi and her family release lanterns honoring the souls lost to it: two for her aunts who never grew up, one for her father’s first wife, and a fourth one. For the first time, Nozomi questions whom her mother releases the unnamed lantern for. A few days later, when she sees her art teacher at the cemetery, she learns his fiancee died in the bombing. Nozomi’s curiosity grows, and she begins to hear the heartbreaking stories of those lost to the bomb as well as those left to grieve them. Nozomi and her friends decide to share the survivors’ experiences through their art. Bringing these little stories to light creates a significant impact, helping others learn and remember what happened and find peace and compassion. Kuzki pens an honest look at the tragic effects and aftermath of the atomic bomb, whether it be one day or 25 years after. Even though they are fictional, the stories of loss, regret, loneliness, and grief are powerful and emotional. Scattered throughout are haunting tanka, Japanese poems, that were published in newspapers following the bombing. Originally written in Japanese, it is beautifully translated, with Japanese words woven in throughout.

An evocative story that will move your soul.