Nikira Lane, 2016 Level 3, Runner-Up

Dear Mrs. Coerr,

I am an American. I always have been and will always be an American. I am not perfect, no other person is perfect, and our countries are not perfect. I am not ashamed of the history of our nations, but through the eyes of a child understanding how an innocent ten year old girl could die from a simple dispute between opinions was not conceivable.

At the age of eight, I picked up Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes for the first time. Since that moment my life has changed. I remember loving the book, but I also remember crying. This was the first book that I had ever cried over. In my household, the first book that you cry over is a very memorable and precious moment in your life. At the time I only saw the book as a story, but as my knowledge increased and my life progressed to teenage years I began to see your novel through totally different eyes. For six years I had only used Sadako as inspiration, but could never bring myself to read the novel a second time. Finally, at the age of fourteen, six years later, I decided to hear this brave girl’s story once more. Through your writing I was touched by Sadako’s life, and again the tears overwhelmed me. With more mature eyes I understood how war, bombs, and ignorance caused thousands of deaths across the world.

Not only did your novel help me to see the light and the dark side of our nations, but I now understand how life itself is a blessing. ‘When Kenji died, I was shocked. For not only was his life short, but one day he was surviving and the next he was gone. When I first read the book, my eyes were still innocent and I did not even realize the sorrow within my own household. I have a 26 year old sister who has two children. My niece Azy, and my nephew Gavriel. Azy is currently
seven and Gavriel is four. When Gavriel was one, and I was eleven, we received a call saying that my adorable, healthy nephew had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Providence Hospital. The season was just after Christmas and we began to spend hours in the children’s hospital visiting my nephew. One day he was walking around and around, and then he was sitting in a hospital bed with cords and tubes running everywhere. He was diagnosed with with transverse myelitis and was paralyzed from the neck down. This type of disease can be recovered from, but the recovery is slow and painful to watch as a fully functional bystander. As an eleven year old, I did not connect your novel with my life, but I now see how Gavriel is like Kenji. One day he is fine and the next he is sick. This event tested the faithfulness, strength, and love of our family, but somehow I remembered that families like Sadako have worse challenges than me. Gavriel is now a happy 4 year old, but is still physically disabled. Like my family, everyone experiences and overcomes challenges, but some challenges are harder to withstand than others.

The radiation effects on Japanese families now help me to know that my life is not as complicated as other lives, and that time keeps ticking no matter what.

“With a beginning like this, how could anything bad happen?” This is my favorite quote from your novel. If you start at the beginning of any book, any letter, or any experience, this quote fits. No one knows what is going to happen until it happens. I did not know how much your novel would change my life; I did not know my nephew would get sick, and I do not know what will happen next, but when life is so precious, how can anything bad happen? Why do children die and why is cancer so vicious‘?

Personally, I do not have any experience with cancer, but I do know that cancer can kill. Like Sadako, my friend died of cancer. She was only a child and her life had begun so wonderfully. Her name was Virginia, and she was about my age when she died. I did not totally realize what cancer meant when she died, but I understand now. I understand what leukemia is and I understand what a tumor is. After her death, her parents gave me a few of her figurines, clothing, and other items. Within these items were two unicorn figures that sit on my nightstand to this day. “Then I reread your novel I was able to relate Virginia to Sadako and her unicorns to the paper cranes. I still think about how short her life was and I know that other people can relate to the sorrow shown in your wonderful novel.

Overall, I simply want to thank you! Sadako helped me understand that there is evil in the world, helped me to appreciate life, and made me love historical fiction. Unlike other teenagers, I read historical fiction and the brave story of Sadako helped me become the mature student I am. Thank you for all of your work and inspiration.

With sincere appreciation,

Nikita Lane