<P> The book has been translated into many languages and published in many places, to be used for peace education programs in primary schools . </P> <P> The short novel is a fictional retelling of the story of Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing by the United States, Sadako was 2 years old when the atomic bomb (Little Boy) was dropped on August 6, 1945, near her home by Salamis Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan . She was at home when the explosion occurred, about one mile from Ground Zero . In November 1954, when she was 12 she developed swellings on her neck and behind her ears . In January 1955, purple spots had formed on her legs . Subsequently, she was diagnosed with leukemia (her mother referred to it as "an atom bomb disease"). She was hospitalized on February 21, 1955, and given a year to live . </P> <P> After being diagnosed with leukemia from the radiation, Sadako's friend told her to fold origami paper cranes in hope of making a thousand of them . She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend that one who created a thousand origami cranes would be granted a wish . Her wish was simply to live . In this retelling of her story, she managed to fold only 644 cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died on the morning of October 25, 1955 . Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako . </P> <P> However, the claim in the book that Sadako "died before completing the 1000 cranes, and her to friends completed the task, placing the finished cranes in her casket" is not backed up by her surviving family members . According to her family, and especially her older brother Masahiro Sasaki who speaks on his sister's life at events, Sadako not only exceeded 644 cranes, she exceeded her goal of 1000 and died having folded approximately 1,400 paper cranes . Mr. Sasaki and the family have donated some of Sadako's cranes at places of importance around the world: in NYC at the 9 - 11 memorial, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, at The Truman Library & Museum on Nov 19th 2015, at Museum Of Tolerance on May 26 2016, and Japanese American National Museum on May 29th, 2016 . USS Arizona Crane Donation and President Truman Museum Donation helped by Mr Clifton Truman Daniel who is grandson of President Truman . </P>

Sadako and the thousand paper cranes chapter 1 summary