Returning The Sword
Age 7+
Armed Forces, Battles, Warfare
A moving true story about the devastation of war and how returning a Japanese sword brought an American soldier peace more than sixty years after the end of World War II
Minnesota soldier Orval Amdahl served in World War II, arriving in Nagasaki, Japan, in the autumn of 1945 to keep the peace in the aftermath of the atomic bombing there. Before he returned to the United States, he had the chance to take a Japanese sword as a war souvenir. Decades later, he unexpectedly had the opportunity to reconnect with the family of the soldier who owned that sword and return it to them in peace, with honor.
A powerful story of war, peace, and reconciliation from Minnesota author Caren Stelson and Japanese American illustrator Amanda Yoshida.
Creators
Caren Stelson is the author of A Bowl Full of Peace: A True Story and Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and received numerous other recognitions. Caren and her husband, Kim, live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have two adult children, Aaron and Beth, and two grandchildren, Reid and Lucy.
Amanda Yoshida is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Oregon. She attended Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Los Angeles and began illustrating picture books in 2016 after the birth of her son.
