The Last Cherry Blossom

May 23, 2016
This debut novel, set in Hiroshima during WWII and inspired by Burkinshaw’s mother’s childhood, sets the stage for tragedy. Seventh-grader Yuriko lives with her widowed newspaper magnate Papa, her Aunt Kimiko, and her annoying five-year-old cousin, Genji. Burkinshaw uses newspaper headlines, radio messages, and official propaganda to introduce each chapter, placing events in historical context and sometimes offering ironic contrasts between the reality of war and the official party line. War colors all aspects of the lives of Yuriko and her classmates as they practice wielding bamboo spears in gym class, fighter planes fly overhead, and Yuriko’s best friend hides a contraband jazz record after Western products are banned. Just as Yuriko’s Papa takes a new wife and her aunt remarries, she learns a series of family secrets. In some cases the incorporation of historical and cultural information into Yuriko’s narration can feel artificial (“I’m not sure why Japan annexed Korea”), but the eventual bombing of Hiroshima proves nightmarishly horrifying, and readers will readily empathize with Yuriko’s losses and will to survive. Ages 11–13. Agent: Anna Olswanger, Olswanger Literary.

June 1, 2016
Japanese native Yuriko Ishikawa lives in Hiroshima with Papa, Aunt Kimiko, and annoying cousin Genji during the turmoil of World War II in Burkinshaw's historical novel. War seeps its way into every aspect of Yuriko's life. Constant air-raid sirens and drills interrupt her daydreams, and the drone of "B-sans" (American B-29s) flying overhead fills her ears. She's clumsy with exercises using bamboo spears as weapons, and when she and her best friend, Machiko, play jazz on the record player, they must do it in secret because all things American are banned. At home, a double wedding is planned, and new family members--Papa's second wife, Sumiyo-san, and Aunt Kimiko's second husband, Akira-san--move in. Will she ever have time alone with Papa again? Despite the necessity of participating in the war effort, Yuriko and her family do their best with normal activities, such as celebrating Oshagatsu (New Year's) and the Cherry Blossom Festival. When a shocking family secret is revealed, Yuriko is shattered, but nothing can prepare her or her community for the unthinkable devastation about to hit their city. Chapter epigraphs of radio-show transcripts, newspaper headlines, and propaganda posters set the chilling tone. Told with reverence and authenticity, Yuriko's journey is inspired by the author's mother's real-life experiences growing up in Hiroshima and surviving that tragic day on Aug. 6, 1945. Tragedy and hope collide in this promising middle-grade debut. (afterword, bibliography, glossary, statistics about Hiroshima) (Historical fiction. 11-13)

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August 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-Offering a glimpse at World War II Japan, this work shows a side of the war not often seen. The story follows Yuriko, a young girl whose world has been turned upside down by the changing culture in Japan. She faces challenges that will be familiar to many middle school students-homework and a new stepmother-as well as some that will be unfamiliar: bombing drills at school and cultural edicts from the government. Yuriko's characterization and reactions to the events feel uneven at times. She seems to take bombings and huge cultural shifts in stride but then is thrown off-balance by her aunt's mean attitude. Her often catty observations about others will be off-putting to more sensitive readers. This historical fiction tale mentions specific events from World War II that some teens may be unaware of. This offers insight into an untold perspective but also may be confusing, since the events are mentioned in passing and without much context. VERDICT Recommended for libraries with large collections of war fiction that want to diversify their offerings.-Alexandra Patterson, Mercersburg Academy Library, PA

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