In June 2001 Rahna Reiko Rizzuto travels to Hiroshima to interview survivors of the atomic bomb, while her husband and two young sons remain in New York. But initial interviews feel rehearsed, and the survivors reveal little beyond already published accounts. Then September 11 changes everything. The vulnerability exposed by the attacks shatters the survivors' carefully constructed narratives. They open up to Rizzuto in astonishing ways, describing in detail their agonizing experiences.