A Dimly Burning Wick, Memoir from the Ruins of Hiroshima: A Firsthand Account of Resilience, Tragedy, and the Human Spirit After the Atomic Bomb - Softcover

Vergun, Pamela

9780875865607: A Dimly Burning Wick, Memoir from the Ruins of Hiroshima: A Firsthand Account of Resilience, Tragedy, and the Human Spirit After the Atomic Bomb

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0875865607 ISBN 13: 9780875865607

Publisher: Algora Publishing, 2008

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A Dimly Burning Wick is searing in its emotional impact. In her haunting diary, Sadako Okuda, a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, shares a deeply personal and emotional account of the devastation that shattered her city. As she searched through the smoldering ruins for her young niece and nephew, Okuda bore witness to unimaginable horror—and to extraordinary acts of compassion. Her narrative gives voice to the youngest victims: wounded children who, even in their final hours, tenderly cared for siblings, parents, and friends. These children stunned her with their dignity, resilience, and selflessness, striving to hold families together without bitterness or blame.

Unlike detached historical accounts written long after the events, Okuda’s diary captures the raw immediacy of those eight agonizing days following the bombing. Her memoir is ultimately a testament to kindness amid horror. While struggling with her anger at the devastating events to which she bears witness, Okuda ultimately realizes that the answer lies in working for peace.

The second part of the book enriches this personal testimony with insightful essays by Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Sok-Hon Ham and distinguished scholars such as historian Ronald Takaki (UC Berkeley) and sociologist Paul Joseph (Tufts). These contributors challenge the official narratives surrounding why the bomb was dropped, the medical consequences, and explore how this catastrophic event is remembered, prompting readers to reflect deeply on history and memory.

The translator and editor of this volume, Pamela Vergun, emphasizes that the decisions made in the 1940s are not the only ones that matter. She says, “The process of understanding history includes how we remember and use our history, and it should include a solid grasp of how social forces continue to encourage aggression. The goal is to facilitate a better understanding of how people across the world, individually and in groups, contribute to pushing the world closer to disasters like the atomic catastrophe Sadako experienced. This knowledge is also the key to enabling people to prevent disasters of many kinds.”

As the survivors’ stories fade with time, A Dimly Burning Wick reignites our collective memory of the atomic bombing’s senseless suffering—especially the ruined lives of Hiroshima’s children—and calls us to remember and work toward peace.

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About the Author

Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, in 1914, Okuda was a sewing teacher on a small island some 35 miles outside of Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. Even at that distance, both her sight and hearing on her right side were permanently damaged. Since 1960 and until her recent retirement, she taught home economics at a non-traditional high school in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. She still lives in the mountains she loves, close to her school. The translator and editor, Pamela Vergun, earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford University, her Masters Degree from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and her B.A. in Language Studies from UC Santa Cruz. She currently lives in the Portland, Oregon area with her husband and two children. The illustrations were created by Mia Nolting, a freelance illustrator who lives in Portland, Oregon. The Foreword is by Catherine Thomasson, past President of Physicans for Social Responsibility.

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