Blending history science & gripping storytelling Strong in the Rain" brings the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan in 2011 & its immediate aftermath to life through the eyes of the men & women who experienced it. Following the narratives of six individuals the book traces the shape of a disaster & the heroics it prompted including that of David Chumreonlert a Texan with Thai roots trapped in his schools gymnasium with hundreds of students & teachers as it begins to flood & Taro Watanabe who thought nothing of returning to the Fukushima plant to fight the nuclear disaster despite the effects that he knew would stay with him for the rest of his life. This is a beautifully written & moving account of how the Japanese experienced one of the worst earthquakes in history & endured its horrific consequences."