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Monday, August 27, 2018

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding

A friend recommended A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding (#767) by Jackie Copleton, and I'm glad she did.  Amaterasu Takahashi was in Nagasaki on that fateful day in August when an atomic bomb was dropped on the city.  She and her husband survived, but not her only daughter or her seven year old grandson, Hideo.

Trying to leave the past behind, the Takahashis moved to America.  Now widowed, Amaterasu is surprised one evening by a knock on her door.  Standing on the other side is a badly scarred man who claims to be her grandson.  She cannot believe it, yet the stranger hands over a package which he says contains proof of his claim.  As she looks over the contents on her own, decades of secrets come rushing back to Amaterasu, bringing back memories she wished to forget...

This is a powerful read, both in its indictment of the use of such potent weapons and their brutal aftermath, and the emotional damage inflicted in relationships gone wrong.  Highly recommended.

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