On the Horizon: World War II Reflections by Lois Lowry

Summary from Goodreads:

From Lois Lowry comes an account of the lives lost in two of WWII’s most infamous events: Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. With black-and-white illustrations by Kenard Pak.

Lois Lowry looks back at history through a personal lens as she draws from her own memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, in this work in verse for young readers.

On the Horizon tells the story of people whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.  Composed of poems about individual sailors who lost their lives on the Arizona and about the citizens of Hiroshima who experienced unfathomable horror.

Review:

As I said on Goodreads, I feel like I was meant to read this book when I did, on Veterans Day. I can’t express right now how powerful a book this was. It’s short, but profound. It makes you think, makes you feel, and makes you hope. What more can a book do?

I’ve come to really appreciate books written in verse. There’s something so simple and emotional about them, like their amount of space on the page allows for time to feel…I don’t know. I’m not a religious or spiritual person, but I always have had this sense of timing. Like I’m meant to read a certain book at a certain time. Or I’m supposed to find an old friend on a certain day. I don’t know if that’s a fate thing, or karma, or an interesting connection to my libra sign, but whatever. I feel like I was supposed to read this book on Veteran’s day. 

We had just talked to Nick’s parents (his dad served). And I was in a texting conversation with a friend who also served. And we had plans to visit a local park with flags representing a tribute to active military, veterans, and first responders later that day. I just had this strong pull toward this book. Lowry is a beautiful author. She has this way of making you feel like you know the characters she’s writing about. This book is special because it’s about her. I felt like I was there on the beach with her. And then hearing the stories of the people who were there, it just made everything feel more real. I didn’t necessarily felt like I knew all the men (or boys) who served, but hearing their stories just put so much more depth behind everything.

The illustrations helped tell the stories too. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked the pictures. They felt almost too juvenile for such an intense theme. But, by the middle, I was glad they were there. They helped me take it all in. They made it easier. Without them, it might have been too much. Too much white space, too much feeling.

The part of the book that takes place in Japan is emotional too. What a unique experience Lowry had, to have lived in both places. To see the loss on both sides was hard. The story about the bicycle was so moving. And then the author’s note about how Lowry spotted what she did in a family video! What a story. I almost feel the need to re-read it all again. I read this book in one sitting. I found it very powerful. It resonated with me at the right moment. I hope it has the effect on others too. I give it a 10/10.