Stories of Hope-Barbara Reynolds The stereotypical image of a
1950s housewife is one of a life limited to the domestic scene,
concerned with raising children, maintaining the household, and
quietly accepting the status quo. For the majority of her early
life, Barbara Leonard Reynolds, by her own admission, embodied
this stereotype. However, a life-altering trip around the world
led her to the path of peace activism. Rather than returning
from her journey to a life unconcerned with world events,
Barbara concentrated her efforts on bringing to the world the
story of the hibakusha. The word hibakusha, meaning “explosion-
affected people,” refers to any person (including an unborn
child) who was within the city limits of Hiroshima or Nagasaki
when the atomic bombs were dropped, came into the cities within
two weeks of the bombings, or had direct contact with bomb
victims. Barbara dedicated herself to helping the hibakusha
share their experiences and their message that atomic bombs
should never again be used by any