In today’s episode, we meet award-winning Charlotte area writer Kathleen Burkinshaw, author of “The Last Cherry Blossom.”

This is a story that offers young readers insight into the Japanese culture, mindset, and daily life during WWII before the atomic bomb was dropped. It is based on Kathleen’s mother’s firsthand experience as Hiroshima survivor and hopes to warn readers of the immense damage nuclear war can bring, while reminding us that the “enemy” in war is often not so different from ourselves.

In 2018, Book Riot named the book one of “30 Fascinating Historical Fiction Books for Middle School Readers.”

Kathleen starts the show with a reading from the first chapter of the book, where air raids are becoming a regular occurrence for the young protagonist and her classmates as the allies close in.