Friday, September 9, 2016

And Then the Sky Exploded by David A. Poulsen

Christian's world is shaken at his great grandfather's funeral when he finds out that he was a member of the Manhattan Project that was responsible for creating the atomic bombs that were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during WWII. Christian is full of shame and confusion because he cannot connect the kind great grandfather he loved and remembers with something that caused so much pain and death. Christian wants to make amends but the question is how.
The answer comes in the form of a school field trip where Christian's suggestion of Japan as the destination is quickly accepted by the school.
What follows is a touching and thought provoking examination of what it means to be human and the act of forgiveness. The book touches very lightly on the subject and what exactly did happen when the bombs hit but considering this is a book meant for young people it is very appropriate.
At certain times, and at the end of the book I found myself in tears and just sitting thinking about the entire issue. Like the Holocaust, the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki should not be forgotten and we need to teach our children about them so we never forget. I was so impressed by this book that I plan to purchase a copy for my daughter to read.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers for free in exchange for an honest review.

Four out of Five Stars

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