Barefoot Gen, Volume 5: The Never-Ending War

by Keiji Nakazawa

Overview

Barefoot Gen Volume Five ―"The Never-Ending War" ― As the people of Hiroshima face a massive food shortage and horrendous health problems, Gen is in school, but he is forced to choose between making money to support his family or staying in school to be a part of society, but when his mother becomes sick, the choice is further complicated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780867195965
Publisher:	Last Gasp of San Francisco
Publication date:	05/01/2008
Series:	Barefoot Gen Series , #5
Pages:	265
Sales rank:	296,963
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.75(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	15 - 18 Years

About the Author

Nakazawa was born in Hiroshima, and was six years old when the city was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945. All of his family members who had not been evacuated died in the bombing, except for his mother, and an infant sister who died several weeks after the bombing. Compelled to tell his story in the memory of his family, Keiji Nakazawa is best known for his epic tragic history Barefoot Gen.

Editorial Reviews

Young Gen Nakaoka has survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and his story picks up as the city tries to reconstruct itself after being destroyed. Gen goes back to school, but he's more interested in rediscovering old friends who went missing soon after the bombing. They deal with the effects of those events by starting a life of crime, one of the few ways to make any money. Gen's mother and older brother deal with food and money shortages elsewhere in the city, as well as the after-effects of radiation. All of this is seen through the innocent eyes of young Gen. He's actually unrelentingly positive for someone who has seen what he's seen. While there's innocence to the book, it is combined with real political sophistication. Gen blames his own country for getting them into WWII and doesn't fall for the patriotism he sees around him. Later, he uncovers misdeeds by the Americans and their research on bodies affected by radiation. Nakazawa was a real-life Hiroshima survivor, and his experiences give this manga classic, originally published in the '70s, a powerful kick, although it reveals its age with Tezuka-inspired designs. (Mar.)

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