I’m delighted to be sharing Elena’s thoughst on The Doctor of Hiroshima by Dr Michihiko Hachiya.
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The Doctor of Hiroshima by Dr Michihiko Hachiya
- Category : Memoir
- ASIN : B0C3LL1RF3
- Publisher : Monoray (29 Feb. 2024)
- Language : English
- File size : 2596 KB
- Amazon | Goodreads
The Doctor of Hiroshima Summary
With what this poor woman had been through the sight of her crying tore at my heartstrings. What if something should happen to her; who would care for her little baby? To conceal the fear and terror in my heart I left her, trying to put up a cheerful front. But no one could conceal from her the ominous import of the dark spots that had appeared on her chest.
The Doctor of Hiroshima is the extraordinary true story of Dr Michihiko Hachiya, whose hospital was less than a mile from the centre of the atomic bomb that hit on that warm August day. In immense shock and pain, he and his wife Yaeko dragged themselves to the devastated hospital building and what colleagues they could find.
In time, they begin to heal, and start to treat the impossible numbers of patients – a small girl covered in burns, an elderly man with pneumonia, a young boy and his little sister looking for their parents. They also began to investigate the strange unexplainable symptoms afflicting his patients – things he never dreamed he would see…
Told simply and poignantly in Dr Hachiya’s own words, The Doctor of Hiroshima is a unique and deeply moving human story of survival about a small, committed band of hospital staff in the face of unthinkable destruction and loss.
The Doctor of Hiroshima Review
I knew before I read this story that it would be a harrowing experience, but I really felt it was important for me to do so. After all the attention given to the film Oppenheimer I wanted learn about the human story behind the devastation at Hiroshima.
It quickly became apparent that the horrors the bomb created were devastating. What Dr Hachiya had to see and deal with was truly awful and the strength he shows along with his wife and colleagues is so incredible as witnessing the types of injuries that these people sustained were enough to damage you for life.
He tells his story in the style of a diary and his voice is so knowledgeable. I felt as though I knew him as I read through his account. He is selfless and humble, yet strong and utterly dedicated. Through him I learnt so much about what happened at Hiroshima. The way the hospital workers got together to treat people with such a wide range of illnesses was amazing – true heroes.
The Doctor of Hiroshima is an important memoir of one of history’s most catastrophic events.
About the Author
Dr. Michihiko Hachiya was Director of the Hiroshima Communications Hospital when the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on the city. After the bomb, he continued as Director there for several years before taking on a teaching role at Okayama University Medical School. He retired in Okayama and passed away in the 1980s.
Thanks for the blog tour support x
Thanks for the opportunity Anne x