My first recommendation, and a strong one at that, is Choosing Life: My Father’s Journey in Film from Hollywood to Hiroshima by Leslie A. Sussan. This fine book is a must-read for anyone interested in history or politics, both past and contemporary. The writing: excellent; the documentation: excellent; the discussion of issues: excellent. I could extend the list but you get the idea.
It’s a memoir on three different levels. First comes the story of Sussan’s relationship with her father, Herbert Sussan, a cinematographer sent in 1945 by the military to photograph the human results of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Like many of us, the author didn’t really get to know her father until long after his death. Writing the book was part of that process.
The second level is Herbert Sussan’s story of what he saw and documented in that terrible time after the bombings and his efforts afterward to get what he photographed released. His footage, and other evidence like it, was suppressed for many years, the government deeming the content not of interest to the American public.
The final and most important level is the story of the hibakusha, the victims of the blasts, “those who died quickly and those who survived to bear witness and seek peace,” to whom the book is partially dedicated.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It’s moving. It’s fascinating. And it gives the reader perspective on important decisions we need to encourage our leaders to make today.
— Caroline McCullah, PageTurners Editor, Mensa Bulletin
