Last winter, I noticed that my post on a book by Pearl S. Buck, The Big Wave, was being frequented with some regularity. I wrote about this book shortly after the earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan in 2011. The original edition has extraordinary woodcuts that exemplify the Japanese people as well as the forcefulness of nature. My review of the book is here.
I was moved when a comment was left by Yuko, asking if I could scan copies of the prints in the book. Yuko, a Japanese citizen, has been working with a crisis support group who are helping with children effected by the tsunami. She needed copies of the illustrations for a school project she was hoping to do with the children. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to locate the book at the time. When my son-in-law Tom overheard me talking about trying to find it, he quietly went to his laptop and quickly located a copy in a nearby library. Before he had a chance to obtain the book, Yuko let me know that a friend of hers in California had purchased The Big Wave, I believe through Ebay, and it was on its way to her in Japan.
We truly live in a global community.
There are still so many people displaced. One can only imagine how children are faring. I hope to sometime post an interview with Yuko about the ongoing aftermath of this horrible disaster and the good things being done. I also hope that she can share how The Big Wave has been used to help the children of the tsunami through their recovery and of the work that Tokyo Support Team is doing on their behalf.
I can’t help but wonder how author Pearl S. Buck, and Hiroshige and Hokusai, the artists,would feel about the impact their words and art hold.
If you are reading, Yuko, please know that prayers and good wishes are still being sent to all of Japan. To my friends in New Zealand, still witnessing the devastation at Christchurch and to those here at home in Joplin, New Orleans and in all of those places where nature has wreaked havoc, you are thought of as well.
Penny, your goodwill has spread far and wide. I read this book after you recommended it last year, and used it in a workshop I was doing. The people of Christchurch are still suffering, especially as the winter down south has been very cold, even with snow. Many people are not allowed to have fire places in their rebuilt homes because of air pollution, and most are still waiting to have new homes. How wonderful that your post reached Yuko, and that the book was sent to her.
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I remember your quest to locate The Big Wave, Juliet, and that you mentioned using it in a workshop. When Yuko first commented, I actually had trouble sleeping as I thought of all the people still suffering, still trying to heal and rebuild there in Japan and how we tend to forget these disasters after the news dies down and the next big story comes on the television screen. Your words here about Christchurch sadly illustrates this, Juliet. I hope they will find warmth and homes soon.
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Wow! What an interesting encounter, Penny. Because we live in earthquake country and the west coast is beginning to have items from the tsunami reach our coast, these dear people are on my mind a lot. I would really like to hear more about Yuko and the work being done. I look forward to whatever you have to share! Debra
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The long term effects of that tsunami are certainly present across the seas, aren’t they, Debra? It will be awhile, but, I’m sure in time I will post again on this. Do you know this book? It is hard to find the early printings with the woodcuts, but, there are newer editions. Your granddaughters are too young yet, but, in a few more years . . .
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No, Penny, I don’t know the book, but I’d like to track it down. I have enjoyed Pearl Buck in the past…the long distant past, but it would be nice to acquaint! I have a few typically reliable sources for out of print books, so I’ll go on a search. 🙂
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again…evidence of blogging and the world getting smaller.
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It is, isn’t it Janice, and so much good can come from it. I hope.
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It is good that there are those like you, Penny, who remind us there is more to our world than those chosen snippets we see on the nightly “news.” The heartaches, struggles, and the triumphs over them, continue long beyond the immediate newsworthiness of the disasters themselves.
I, too, hope that Yuko will see this post and advise you how the children are faring.
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It serves to remind me as well, Karen. We have, as a society, such short attention spans, don’t we? Even here in the States, we forget about all those effected in so many ways by 9/11. I worry the most about the children. I am sure Yuko will let me know as time goes on. She is a wonderful person.
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Thanks for the reminder. We tend to forget that people are still struggling in the aftermath of such natural disasters. Things are in the news for a brief time and then forgotten. The Wave is a favorite book of mine as you know. I hope Yuko lets you know how things are going and if there is anything we could do to help. The Wave is a timeless classic and should be part of elementary curriculum.
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We all do forget these things in the next news cycle, don’t we? I’m sure Yuko will in time. It is good for all of us to remain aware of the plight of others. I agree about The Big Wave, Janet. Besides being such a well told and good story, there are so many applications for it, as evidenced with Yuko using it with children and Juliet (above) using it with adults. It was you, my friend, that brought it to my attention, and see where that lead. All good things.
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I picked up the book The Big Wave after reading about it in your blog and put it on my “new” to read pile and did read it. Strange, how in time people rebuild in the same place on a cliff, by a river or ocean and just hope it won’t happen again.
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Hope is such a strong emotion, Sharon, and I think if one’s family has always lived there, there is that urge to rebuild. Sometimes it is the only place to return to. I hope you enjoyed the book when you read it.
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Penny, this post is just what I needed today. Our news cycles really do not encourage us to keep remembering those who still suffer through untenable situations, months or even years after the fact. I was in New Orleans last week. While parts of it look like nothing ever happened, other parts are forever wrecked. People always need us, whether or not it’s newsworthy.
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“People always need us, whether or not it’s newsworthy.” Perfectly phrased, Andra. New Orleans is heartbreaking, isn’t it? Six years later and most of us have forgotten the utter devastation.
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I managed to find an older edition on library loan and read the book. How many people you touch through your blogging. It’s so true that we hear a lot when the disasters first hit and then we tend to forget about it unless reminded in some way. Thanks for reminding us. At the very least we can pray for these people and all those less fortunate than ourselves!
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I have been surprised by who these blogs reach, Joyce. Thank you. Amazing, and yes, we can pray and should. It served as much as a reminder for me as anyone and I was moved by Yuko’s comments. I’m so glad you found an older edition, Joyce.
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Thanks for this wonderful post, reminding us of many people who are still in need. I have not read the book and would now love to.
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You are quite welcome, Sunday. It is so easy to forget others’ sufferings, especially with our 24 hour news cycles. The Big Wave is readily available, though it is difficult to find this early edition. I think you would appreciate the woodcuts in it – as well as the story.
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Dear Penny, I’d never heard of Pearl Buck’s “The Big Wave” until reading about it in your posting today. Thank you for the link to your review of it last year. That was posted before I started reading blogs and so I missed it then.
I’ll get the book from the library.
I so agreed with what Karen Synder said in her comment. We get just snippets of news from national broadcasting. And always just what the newsroom thinks we need to see, or perhaps what we’ll respond to, which narrows down what we ultimately watch. The one news broadcast that continues every so often to update us on Katrina and its aftermath is the NBC newscast with Brian Williams. I admire him for that.
This posting and the one last year with its comments–one from Yuko–truly does show us a global community. We live in exciting times. And I so applaud you for reviewing books that touch your heart and mind and that in turn touch us and many, many other–like a flat stone deftly thrown against the surface of the lake. Circles, upon circles. Peace.
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I had not heard of it either, Dee, until Janet mentioned it last year. I am so glad that she did as it was such a good book to read at the time and now has led to an expansion of my knowledge of so many more things.
Brian Williams has done a steady and newsworthy reporting job on Katrina. I agree with you, and with Karen as well. Our garden club donated a nice sum of money and trees to a Mississippi garden club on the Gulf after Katrina to plant in public areas. Several members made a few trips down there to see the damage, which was unimaginable. Just this spring, we got news that the ground was now ready to accommodate plants. Katrina’s wrath is still felt by so many.
We do live in exciting times, Dee, and our ability to connect can do so much good. Thank you so much – yes, circles, upon circles with circles like yours coming around again.
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We have a copy of this book at home, thanks to you Penny – though, I have to admit Eoin has not read it yet!
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Sometimes a book just had to wait for awhile, especially for a young lad, Janet. I was glad to see you got to the cottage in quick time.
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I didn’t know about this book — thank you. What a wonderful testament to the blogging community.
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It really is, isn’t it Sallie? I love how we can all expand and grow with each other.
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