“Passage to Hiroshima”
Author: Gordonn T. Allred
I’ve just finished reading “Passage to Hiroshima” by Gordon T. Allred. This book is the first volume of the “Rising Sun” series and in “Passage to Hiroshima” Allred has definitely set the stage for future novels. At only one hundred and forty-seven pages I did find “Passage to Hiroshima” to be too quick of a read for me but…at least it was an enjoyable one.
Moving on to the story… It’s late 1941 and Zenji Yamato is a twenty year old Japanese American who currently resides in Utah. His parents moved to the United States when he was just eight so that his father, Masahisa Yamato, could embrace his personal dream of being a successful restaurateur rather than sharing the success of his brother’s dream: the shipping industry.
For the last several years Zenji has been saving up; intending to return to Japan, the land of his birth, to visit his relatives. The date for his departure is almost upon him and while Zenji is ecstatic his mother is not. She understands her son; knows that he is a bit of a dare-devil and she worries that he will get himself into trouble. While she cannot convince him to forego his trip she does manage to extract a promise from him that he will not intentionally seek out danger. Having read that Zenji threw common sense and caution to the winds; almost dying of hypothermia days before his leaving, I idly wondered how effectual that obligatory promise would really be.
“Passage to Hiroshima” is an interesting variation of current happenings followed by recollections of Zenji’s past memories and childhood experiences before finally remaining anchored in the present. There’s even an interesting interaction with a plane from a Japanese aircraft carrier that had me holding my breath for a moment or two…
While I’m not going to give away any more of the story I will say that “Passage to Hiroshima” was a good read although not quite what I had been expecting. (In a good way.) Allred is a great writer; extremely descriptive in a direct and to the point manner which is appreciated. I do look forward to reading future books from this series and I would recommend “Passage to Hiroshima” to anyone who enjoys the “Action” or “Adventure” reading genres.