Daikon

“Hawley spins a compelling tale told entirely from the Japanese perspective. Deeply researched science; a window into nationalism in all its ugliness; love, resilience and humanity even as everything around you is destroyed… . Daikon is alternative history at its best.” — NPR“What if not two but three atomic bombs wound up in the Pacific theater? And what if the third one fell into the hands of the enemy when an American plane crashed on the Japanese mainland? Hawley’s impeccably detailed narrative offers an unnerving fictional answer… . The novel’s tension mounts in highly cinematic fashion, despite our awareness of what the history books tell us.” —Alida Becker, The New York Times“[An] absorbing alternative history … Daikon—the word, meaning radish, becomes the bomb’s codename—unfolds like a detective novel, as Kan works backward to grasp how the weapon was made… . The story barrels ahead urgently, as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki take place while Kan is working… . Duty, anger, sorrow, conscience and even hope mix together to form the novel’s bracingly intimate ending. Even in alternate histories, it is startling to consider how single decisions can decide worldwide outcomes.” —Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal“Since 1945, there have been rumors that the U.S. military hauled at least three atomic bombs to Japan, one for Hiroshima and one for Nagasaki. What happened to the third? The truth will never be known, but Samuel Hawley has crafted a breathtaking story of what might have been. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, Daikon is a riveting tale about war, intrigue, love, and perseverance.” —John Grisham“It’s the last gasp of WWII in a world with three atomic bombs—and Japan has one of them. A young physicist and his imprisoned wife get caught in the crosshairs in this stunning novel that takes a fresh, unexpected look at a well-trod period in history.” —People magazine “An engrossing and thought-provoking novel … The plot feels entirely plausible, and none of the characters fit any obvious stereotypes… . The author’s research is impressive as he describes how the bomb is designed to work, the tensions within the Japanese power structure, and details of Japanese culture.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Daikon is a gripping and fascinating work of historical fiction that’s so convincing I felt like I’d stumbled onto an extraordinary World War II documentary with indelible characters and haunting footage from a vantage I’d never imagined. Daikon will sweep you away.” —Jess Walter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins“Thrilling … Builds to a pulse-pounding climax. The result is the most imaginative take on Hiroshima since Edwin Corley’s The Jesus Factor.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Propelled by the tensions between hard-liners and those open to surrender … [Daikon is] a realistic and tightly plotted narrative told through Japanese eyes.” —Booklist (starred review) “In the opening pages of Daikon, I knew I was in the hands of a skilled writer. By Daikon’s end, I felt honored to share the same craft. Literatur­e ­allows us to get out of our own skins and live other lives. Through Daikon’s characters, I inhabited the Japanese culture of 1945, immeasurably different from my own: obedience to authority ingrained through centuries; worship of a living god/man; accepting injustice without complaint; welcoming the terrifying duty and honor to sacrifice one’s life for the group. I witnessed the final days of World War II through the eyes of a loving Japanese man and woman separated by war and state terrorism. I endured the firebombing of Tokyo, and I felt extreme hunger and abject fear as much as is humanly possible without the actual experience. And finally, I was nearly shattered by one man’s willingness to sacrifice almost everything to save that which he most treasured. Throughout it all, I could not look away. This novel is storytelling at its finest.” —Karl Marlantes, New York Times bestselling author of Matterhorn“A suspenseful tale of love and intrigue set in Japan during the closing days of World War II.” —Esquire

Samuel Hawley was born and raised in South Korea, the son of Canadian missionaries, and taught English in Korea and Japan for nearly two decades. He is the author of the nonfiction book The Imjin War, the most comprehensive account in English of Japan’s 16th-century invasion of Korea and attempted conquest of China. He currently lives in Istanbul, Turkey. Daikon is his debut novel.