Author(s): John L. Read

Science & Nature

Edward Thompson Mobsby, father of twin baby girls, volunteered for war service and was shot down by the Japanese in New Guinea in 1942. John Read's quest for an apology for the death of his grandfather took him and his family from suburban Australia to a startling discovery in the mighty Owen Stanley Ranges, and on to Hiroshima.

John learned about Miyuki, a Japanese woman who had also taken her mother to New Guinea to answer questions about her grandfather's death. When they eventually met in Osaka, their long conversations brought understanding, reconciliation and, almost, forgiveness. And, critically, revealed the value of crosscultural dialogue in helping spare future generations from the despair and waste of international conflict.