Barefoot Gen, Vol. 4

by 中沢 啓治

Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, 1945-1947. The war is over, but for the survivors of the atomic blast, the suffering has only begun. When the Emperor surrenders unconditionally, the Americans roll into Japan and strip the local authorities of all power, creating a power vacuum that is swiftly filled by the underbelly of Japanese society. Food is scarce, and prices are wildly inflated. Reunited once more but evicted from Kiyo’s storehouse, the Nakaoka family is barely holding onto life; malnutrition lays its cold, painful hands on their bodies. Gen and Ryuta must resort to drastic measures in order to procure enough food to keep their family alive. As the months go by, Gen returns to a broken schoolhouse, where both new friends and new enemies await him. But when tragedy strikes, and baby Tomoko is kidnapped, Gen finds himself pushed to a breaking point. However, the Nakaokas could never prepare themselves for the ultimate tragedy that is to come… A now-classic manga, *Hadashi no Gen* (*Ba