BKMT READING GUIDES

Persuasive,
Dramatic,
Difficult

1 review

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment: A Novel

by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Published: 2013-03-11
Hardcover : 384 pages

6 members reading this now
2 clubs reading this now
1 member has read this book

Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 1 members

A lush, exquisitely rendered meditation on war, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment tells the story of several families, American and Japanese, their loves and infidelities, their dreams and losses, and how they are all connected by one of the most devastating acts of war in human history.

In ...

No other editions available.

Jump to

Introduction

A lush, exquisitely rendered meditation on war, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment tells the story of several families, American and Japanese, their loves and infidelities, their dreams and losses, and how they are all connected by one of the most devastating acts of war in human history.

In this evocative and thrilling epic novel, fifteen-year-old Yoshi Kobayashi, child of Japan’s New Empire, daughter of an ardent expansionist and a mother with a haunting past, is on her way home on a March night when American bombers shower her city with napalm—an attack that leaves one hundred thousand dead within hours and half the city in ashen ruins. In the days that follow, Yoshi’s old life will blur beyond recognition, leading her to a new world marked by destruction and shaped by those considered the enemy: Cam, a downed bomber pilot taken prisoner by the Imperial Japanese Army; Anton, a gifted architect who helped modernize Tokyo’s prewar skyline but is now charged with destroying it; and Billy, an Occupation soldier who arrives in the blackened city with a dark secret of his own. Directly or indirectly, each will shape Yoshi’s journey as she seeks safety, love, and redemption.

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

No Excerpt Currently Available

Discussion Questions

Suggested by Members

In the end, was the fire bombing of Tokyo or Dresden necessary? Did either accomplish their intended goals?

Does the means ever justify the ends?

by thewanderingjew (see profile) 03/17/13

Weblinks

»	Author Jennifer Cody Epstein's web site
»	Publisher's Book Info & Excerpt

Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

No notes at this time.

Book Club Recommendations

Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 1 members.

Member Reviews

Overall rating:

"The Gods Of Heavenly Punishment, Jody Cody Epstein"by Gail R. (see profile) 03/17/13

War makes enemies of former friends and pits them against each other. War puts countries and people on different sides of issues that previously were of no concern to them. They are forced t... (read more)

by Heather J. (see profile) 09/19/14

This book follows a young Japanese girl Yoshi, and various characters that either directly or indirectly impact her life, which is shattered by the US napalm attack on Tokyo in 1945.

The

... (read more)

Rate this book

MEMBER LOGIN