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The Children of Hiroshima: The True Story Of How I Searched For My Family In The Ruins Of The City
The little boy did not cry or speak. He just stood there and stared at me intensely. With great effort I stood up and tested to see if I could walk with my injured foot. When I did, he came to stand even closer to me and, without saying a word, grabbed my little finger very tightly.
Sadako Teiko Okuda was living in Osaki-shimo, an island off the mainland of Japan, when the bomb hit Hiroshima on the 6th of August 1945. Even sixty kilometers from the city, it was clear something horrific had happened. There was a blinding flash and the window next to Sadako smashed, a shard of glass leaving a painful burn on her neck. Soon, news came that her niece and nephew who lived in Hiroshima were missing. There was only one thing she could do—leave the relative safety of the island and set off into the city to find them.
In the seven long days that followed, Sadako roamed the ruins of the city, desperately hoping that she would catch sight of her family and in the meantime coming across dozens of other children who were alone, distraught and in pain. Carrying only water and a little medicine, she did her best to nurse the children and offer what care, compassion and tenderness she could in unimaginable circumstances. And in turn, they helped her to find hope in the very darkest of times.
Told simply and powerfully in daily diary entries, The Children of Hiroshima is an extraordinary and deeply moving human story of loss, innocence and hope.
Sadako Teiko Okuda was living in Osaki-shimo, an island off the mainland of Japan, when the bomb hit Hiroshima on the 6th of August 1945. Even sixty kilometers from the city, it was clear something horrific had happened. There was a blinding flash and the window next to Sadako smashed, a shard of glass leaving a painful burn on her neck. Soon, news came that her niece and nephew who lived in Hiroshima were missing. There was only one thing she could do—leave the relative safety of the island and set off into the city to find them.
In the seven long days that followed, Sadako roamed the ruins of the city, desperately hoping that she would catch sight of her family and in the meantime coming across dozens of other children who were alone, distraught and in pain. Carrying only water and a little medicine, she did her best to nurse the children and offer what care, compassion and tenderness she could in unimaginable circumstances. And in turn, they helped her to find hope in the very darkest of times.
Told simply and powerfully in daily diary entries, The Children of Hiroshima is an extraordinary and deeply moving human story of loss, innocence and hope.
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Published May 8, 2025
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June 7, 2025
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Review for 'The Children Of Hiroshima' by Ellie Midwood. Sadako Teiko Okuda
Well, what can I say but wow!!! This story is definitely not going to leave my head anytime soon. Firstly I must congratulate Sadako Teiko Okuda for sharing her emotional search with the world and creating this emotive harrowing yet beautiful page turner. that seriously needs to be made into a movie which I assure would be best selling!!!
This book is very powerful, heart rendering and extremely well written. It is devastatingly heart-breaking and beautiful at the same time. I must admit that being in the UK I did not know much about Hiroshima although I had heard of it and what happened. This book gives such an insight into what war did to the people of Hiroshima and not only does it tell of the devastation but also of the beauty of those who refused to give up hope, those who put others before them and really shows both sides of humanity in one heartfelt story. It truly is one of those books that I believe that everybody should read and that should be made available in all educational settings around the World. It should definitely be read by those higher up, the ones with the power to cause the destruction and devastation that is captured in this story from the war and the actions taken. Also included in this book at the end of Sadako's story is a summary of the medical impacts of Hiroshima, an article on remembering Hiroshima and also the insights of historical research and social psychology on the effects on Sadako, each of these are extremely compelling articles which really helped me gain an eve larger insight in to the devastation of the effects of Hiroshima. Throughout this beautiful and eye opening story Sadako not only tells us of the horrific sights she witnessed but also of the children and people she met along the way from ones that refused to eat the last of the rice ball as they wanted to give it to their Mum when she returned to the girl who never stopped watching for her parents until she could no longer do so physically and to the friends who become adopted brothers due to the previous war who refused to leave each others sides. Although this book is harrowing, heart wrenching and aa story of devastation it also shows the beauty hidden inside and the compassion and love given to and from others that she met along the way. It truly is a unique, must read and powerful page turner that I implore absolutely each and every person to read.
Grab the tissues, clear your schedules and get lost in history with an extremely talented author and a beautiful heart-breaking and educational read!!
This book was very hard to read as a whole but there were certain parts that will stay with me for a very long time and that were soul destroying. What the bombing did to these innocent people makes me absolutely sick to my soul. However, during this darkness comes light of love and determination. Most importantly it ensures these amazing people are never, ever forgotten. Each of these amazing people will stay in my mind for a long time and my heart absolutely broke with tears streaming down my face for so many of them. I can't say more than that though as I don't want to give anything away so you will just have to pick up a copy and see what I mean.
Thank you Sadako for telling us your story and also to each person who ensured it was spread across the world. Also thank you to Pamela Bea Wilson Vergun PhD, Robert Vergun PhD, Martin Donohoe MD, Catherine Thomaason MD and Paul Joseph PhD for the incredible articles included.
Overall an unputdownable, heart wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story.
#TheChildrenOfHiroshima #SadakoTeikoOkuda #monoray #OctopusPublishing #Hachette #RandomThingsTours #RandomTTours
@SadakoTeikoOkuda @monoray @OctopusPublishing @Hachette @RandomThingsTours @RandomTTours
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Review for 'The Children Of Hiroshima' by Ellie Midwood. Sadako Teiko Okuda
Well, what can I say but wow!!! This story is definitely not going to leave my head anytime soon. Firstly I must congratulate Sadako Teiko Okuda for sharing her emotional search with the world and creating this emotive harrowing yet beautiful page turner. that seriously needs to be made into a movie which I assure would be best selling!!!
This book is very powerful, heart rendering and extremely well written. It is devastatingly heart-breaking and beautiful at the same time. I must admit that being in the UK I did not know much about Hiroshima although I had heard of it and what happened. This book gives such an insight into what war did to the people of Hiroshima and not only does it tell of the devastation but also of the beauty of those who refused to give up hope, those who put others before them and really shows both sides of humanity in one heartfelt story. It truly is one of those books that I believe that everybody should read and that should be made available in all educational settings around the World. It should definitely be read by those higher up, the ones with the power to cause the destruction and devastation that is captured in this story from the war and the actions taken. Also included in this book at the end of Sadako's story is a summary of the medical impacts of Hiroshima, an article on remembering Hiroshima and also the insights of historical research and social psychology on the effects on Sadako, each of these are extremely compelling articles which really helped me gain an eve larger insight in to the devastation of the effects of Hiroshima. Throughout this beautiful and eye opening story Sadako not only tells us of the horrific sights she witnessed but also of the children and people she met along the way from ones that refused to eat the last of the rice ball as they wanted to give it to their Mum when she returned to the girl who never stopped watching for her parents until she could no longer do so physically and to the friends who become adopted brothers due to the previous war who refused to leave each others sides. Although this book is harrowing, heart wrenching and aa story of devastation it also shows the beauty hidden inside and the compassion and love given to and from others that she met along the way. It truly is a unique, must read and powerful page turner that I implore absolutely each and every person to read.
Grab the tissues, clear your schedules and get lost in history with an extremely talented author and a beautiful heart-breaking and educational read!!
This book was very hard to read as a whole but there were certain parts that will stay with me for a very long time and that were soul destroying. What the bombing did to these innocent people makes me absolutely sick to my soul. However, during this darkness comes light of love and determination. Most importantly it ensures these amazing people are never, ever forgotten. Each of these amazing people will stay in my mind for a long time and my heart absolutely broke with tears streaming down my face for so many of them. I can't say more than that though as I don't want to give anything away so you will just have to pick up a copy and see what I mean.
Thank you Sadako for telling us your story and also to each person who ensured it was spread across the world. Also thank you to Pamela Bea Wilson Vergun PhD, Robert Vergun PhD, Martin Donohoe MD, Catherine Thomaason MD and Paul Joseph PhD for the incredible articles included.
Overall an unputdownable, heart wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story.
#TheChildrenOfHiroshima #SadakoTeikoOkuda #monoray #OctopusPublishing #Hachette #RandomThingsTours #RandomTTours
@SadakoTeikoOkuda @monoray @OctopusPublishing @Hachette @RandomThingsTours @RandomTTours
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhi...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3...
https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/a...
Displaying 1 of 1 review