Starting a few months before Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945, this four-volume saga shows life in Japan after years of war and privations. Volume 4 resumes nine days after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, as Gen and his mother continue to struggle for food, shelter and water. Their indomitable human spirits prevail amidst chaos and vast human suffering. Though confronted with the most despicable aspects of humankind, Gen acts with love and compassion.