1. What were the residents of Hiroshima expecting?

2. How many people were killed by the atomic bomb?

3. To what does each of the six credit his or her survival?

4. Why had Mr. Tanimoto not slept well?

5. What actions of Mr. Tanimoto showed his "cautious, thoughtful" nature?

6. Why had Mr. Tanimoto risen early on the day of the bombing?

7. What rumors have arisen about Mr. Tanimoto? What did he do to try to disprove the rumors?

8. What does Mr. Tanimoto remember of the flash? What did it seem like? How far was he from the center of the explosion?

9. What did most of the residents of Hiroshima hear when the bomb went off?

10. Why didn't Mrs. Nakamura return to the East Parade Ground despite the warning she heard on the radio?

11. Why was Mrs. Nakamura's neighbor destroying his house?

12. For whom did Mrs. Nakamura feel pity?

13. What did Mrs. Nakamura think of when the explosion came? What happened to her?

14. How was Dr. Fujii's building constructed?

15. Why was Dr. Fujii's hospital built with room for patients' kinfolk?

16. Why had Dr. Fujii been turning away patients? How many patients and staff did Dr. Fujii have at the time of the bombing?

17. What image does Hersey use to describe Dr. Fujii after he has been tossed into the water from the impact of the blast? Why is this image appropriate?

18. What factors contributed to Father Kleinsorge's weakened condition?

19. Aside from moving to a bigger building, what did Father Kleinsorge do when the siren sounded?

20. Of what did the flash of the explosion remind Father Kleinsorge?

21. What might have accounted for the safety of the Jesuits' mission house?

22. How did Dr. Sasaki spend his evenings in Mukaihara? What was dangerous about his occupation?

23. What probably saved Dr. Sasaki's life?

24. Who is the only doctor who was unhurt in the explosion?

25. Why did Miss Sasaki get up so early on the day the bomb fell?

26. How was Miss Sasaki injured?