This short book is an essential read for anyone interested in Okinawa during WW2, or anyone interested in the history of Okinawa. Tomiko Higa tells the story of her survival during the American offensive action in Okinawa, and of the kindness of people who helped her. It's appropriate to read aloud with older children, but it does have sad or potentially scary descriptions.

I met Higa san when her book was first published in English--I started crying before I could speak--thinking of what that lovely, smiling woman had suffered as a child. This is a part of the Battle of Okinawa that is seldom told--in fact, the Okinawan civilians are seldom mentioned, even as statistics. Everyone who lives/lived/will live on the island should read this book and realize that the very old faces one sees today all have stories from their
survival of the war. ( )

Tomiko’s story is sad and heartwarming at the same time. She shows us a side of World War II that we rarely hear about… the plight of the Japanese people. What’s most amazing is how she surived, mostly on her own, at only 7 years old. We often forget about how war affects the youngest among us. This is a quick read, and well worth the time. ( )

Painful and amazing story of a little girl's survival of the battle of Okinawa. Little miracles amidst the mayhem. ( )

When I bought this at Goodwill, there was a note inside it that read,

Kristy 2000,

Remember how you felt when you first read this book? Read it again.

-Kristy 1997

That single-handedly made me wanna read this. The writing itself isn't that amazing (that could also be due to its translation), but the narrative is. An autobiography by a Japanese native, this is her account of how she survived one of the deadliest bombing sprees in occupied-Japan during WW2. Separated from her parents (and eventually her siblings), she is left to wander around the country side, avoiding bombs and searching for food and shelter.

Holy shit, I cried so much. Yeah, its hard to read about the atrocities of war, especially how it affects children, but sometimes we have to force ourselves to get outside of our comfort zones and listen to other people's lived histories if we want to become smarter, more compassionate people. ( )