Yoko's Diary

This is a beautifully presented book and whilst it is extremely sad that Yoko Moriwaki lost her life at such an early age the day the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, I'm not sure about the book's appeal, especially for students. The start is too slow with a number of people talking about their memories of Yoko and the diary entries themselves are very simple, repetitive and often boring. What makes the book, in my opinion, are the photos of Yoko, the explanatory text throughout the book by editor, Paul Ham, expanding the reader's knowledge of certain events and living conditions at the time, and the final diary entry written by Yoko's father when he returned from the war two years later only to find that his daughter had passed away. show more Overall, a disappointing read. show less