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positivewoman2013's review
5.0
This story was told from the perspective of a teacher and a student surviving in an internment camp in China. We are not forced to relive all the graphic pain, but we walk next to these people. I was moved. Strength Under Oppression
shirleytupperfreeman's review
Compelling historical fiction set in China during WWII. The story is told in two voices - that of 10 year old Nancy Plummer and 30-something Miss Kent. Nancy and her brother are students at a boarding school for the children of missionaries and diplomats in China. Miss Kent has left an unhappy life in England to teach in the school for a couple years while she figures her life out. Just as she is getting ready to resign and move back to England, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. Japanese soldiers take the school and it's inhabitants as prisoners and the teachers and students are challenged to survive in ever more dire circumstances over the next 4 years. Most of the story takes place during the war but some of it is told from a reunion of sorts thirty years later. Regular meetings of girl guides, with badges earned etc. becomes a focal point for the group. Olympic runner Eric Liddell joins them at the inernment camp for a time.
decembermagpie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lovelyseiren's review
5.0
I don't normally read books based on something in history but I loved how the story was told in the perspective of a student and teacher as time went on
mollysticks's review
4.0
Wow, what a side of WWII I wasn't super familiar with.
A quote I could do to apply to my life - "You really should try to like yourself a lot more than you do."
A quote I could do to apply to my life - "You really should try to like yourself a lot more than you do."
susanp's review
4.0
While I’m glad I read this well-written book about a Japanese internment camp in China during WWII, I have to admit I found a lot of it boring. Most of the emotions and events were superficial, monotonous, and repetitious.
ammbooks's review
4.0
Uplifting when you think of how people survive and go on. Poignant story of a young British girl in China during WWII
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 - I enjoyed getting a look at a different perspective of WWII experience - from a group of teachers and students interned in a prisoner of war camp after Pearl Harbor by a Japanese army that controlled the territory. The treatment was harsh (there are some rape scenes). I did enjoy the girl guide focus and how the story included what happened to the teachers and students long afterwards. The history part of it interested me more than the story I think. The characters weren't that compelling for me aside from a couple of memorable ones that endured terrible things.