Waiting on Wednesday: The Last Paper Crane
The Last Paper Crane
Written by Kerry Drewery
pages
Published by Hot Key Books
Publication date: April 2020
Summary (from Goodreads):
One thousand paper cranes to achieve your heart’s desire.
1945, Hiroshima: Ichiro is a teenage boy relaxing at home with his friend Hiro. Moments later there is a blinding flash as the horrific nuclear bomb is dropped. With great bravery the two boys find Hiro’s five year-old sister Keiko in the devastated and blasted landscape. With Hiro succumbing to his wounds, Ichiro is now the only one who can take care of Keiko. But in the chaos Ichiro loses her when he sets off to find help.
Seventy years later, the loss of Keiko and his broken promise to his dying friend are haunting the old man’s fading years. Mizuki, his granddaughter, is determined to help him. As the Japanese legend goes, if you have the patience to fold 1,000 paper cranes, you will find your heart’s desire; and it turns out her grandfather has only one more origami crane to fold…
Narrated in a compelling mix of straight straight narrative, free verse and haiku poems, this is a haunting and powerful novel of courage and survival, with full-page illustrations by Natsuko Seki.
Why I can’t wait to read this:
- I loved Kerry Drewery’s Book, A Dream of Lights, which is set in North Korea. I am looking forward to reading what she has to say in this book too.
- I studied in Japan when I was younger and am bilingual in English and Japanese. One of the most affecting experiences for me, and one that made me glad that I took the effort to learn Japanese, was being able to speak with the survivors of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima who volunteer in the museum there, as well as those who lived in my own Japanese ‘hometown’.
- I often find that the human cost of war is underrated, or less spoken about, particularly in some narratives where the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima was seen as ‘necessary’ to end the war. Regardless of where you stand on the decision to drop the bomb, the massive impact of it on ordinary people cannot be understated.
- The main relationship in this book seems to be between a grandfather and granddaughter, which I am really looking forward to.
- I am excited to see that the story will be told through a mixture of prose, illustrations and poetry as this will allow exploration of so many emotional nuances.
- This book sounds like it will be essential reading for me and one I will recommend to others!
What do you think?
Does this sound like the kind of book you would enjoy?
Will you be reading this or do you have any other anticipated releases you would recommend to me?
Let me know in the comments!
See some other Waiting on Wednesday posts here: When the Mountains Roared, The Exact Opposite of Okay, To Kill a Kingdom, Starfish, The Gloaming, The Smoke Thieves, The Way You Make Me Feel, The Queens of Innis Lear, Legendary, Nyxia Unleashed, Bright Ruin, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, Empress of All Seasons, Tempests and Slaughter, Grim Lovelies, The Glass of Lead and Gold, Storm Witch, The Way Past Winter, The Gilded Wolves,Fierce Fairytales, Descendant of the Crane. Dragon Pearl,Last of Her Name. The Familars. A Pinch of Magic, A Witch Come True, The Winter of the Witch. Once Upon a River, A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Shadowscent, Romanov. Echo North, The Wicked King, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Spin the Dawn, Master of Sorrows, Asha and the Spirit Bird, A Treason of Thorns, We Rule The Night, Perfectly Preventable Deaths, Collision, Rumblestar, The Last Spell Breather, The Starless Sea, The Lost Tide Warriors, The Princess Who Flew With Dragons, Containment. House of Salt and Sorrows, Sanctuary, Stronger than a Bronze Dragon, Gumiho/Wicked Fox, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Kingdom, The Taste of Rain, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Chinglish, Winterwood, Harley in the Sky, Into the Crooked Place, Butterfly Yellow, Seven Deadly Shadows, Shadows of Winterspell, Wicked as You Wish, The Silvered Serpents, Feathertide.
While you’re here, why not check out my reviews of The Hazel Wood, Tangleweed and Brine, Summer Bird Blue, The Pretender or The Gilded King?
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Thanks for reading!
Chrikaru Reads 