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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
This is such a heartbreaking yet hopeful story! When Japanese soldiers took over their school, life changed abruptly for Elsbeth and her young students, including Nancy, whose mother she'd long ago promised she'd keep a special eye on. The children were already struggling because they missed their parents, but when Japan declared war on England and America they became "the enemy" in a foreign land. This began the daily struggle for Elsbeth to maintain her positive attitude and Girl Guide (like the Girl Scouts) leadership while suffering and living in fear of what would happen as the war went on. I fell in love with these characters and the kindness they showed each other in the most unimaginable circumstances. Parts of it were hard to read, especially knowing it was based on true events. It was so interesting to learn about Chefoo School and devastating to learn how awful it was for the Chinese to be under Japanese occupation and the way that the British and Americans in the country at the time were treated. The bravery and resilience of the characters was inspiring. If you love historical fiction from this era you'll definitely want to read this one!
Idiotic and poorly written. You can't take such a tragic story and put a romance-novel style on it. I rolled my eyes every couple of pages. Worst of all, the two narrators, a grown woman and a 11-year old child, speak in the same voice. The Enlgish really do like their blinkers.
I have enjoyed Helen Gaynor’s books, but really loved this one. This work of historical fiction takes place in China during WWII, as the Japanese occupied China. At a school for missionary and diplomatic children, Nancy meets her best friends Sprout and Mouse. When Elsoeth Kent took on the position of teacher, she could never predict the type of care and involvement she would have as the school is first evacuated to smaller quarters, and then the group is sent to an Internment camp. Miss Kent and Nancy form what is close to a mother and daughter relationship, while Nancy also bonds with her two friends. The Japanese guards are at times brutal, with the exception of a few who try to help the group. The characters are sympathetic and lovable, and I will miss them. I highly recommend and thank NetGalley for he ARC.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Beautifully written. Heartbreaking, with strength & hope in the midst of horrific situations......I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend.
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am not always a fan of World War 2 novels...I typically think that they are overdone with the author almost hitting you over the head with the horribleness and devastation left behind. And I really don’t like the ones that incorporate romance to complicate things. But this one was different. First Gaynor does a great job of getting the reader to understand her characters, and then to understand exactly what it is they have to go through. Yes there are awful moments that happen to the characters, but beneath all of that there is still the blossoming of hope. And that hope breeds resilience.
I have read so much about world war two in Europe, but never in Asia. Reading this book opened my eyes to more of what was going on in another part of the world.
I have loved Hazel Gaynor’s other books and was not disappointed in reading this one. It is an incredible story of a boarding school in China compromised of children of missionaries and diplomats. The children come from various places including the U.K. and the U.S. Once Japan takes control of China, the children and their teachers are now essentially prisoners of the Japanese. The story is told from two points of view. The first being the interpretation of the events from a young girl, Nancy who describes the events through the mind of a child. Nancy is a Girl Guide from the U.K., (the UK equivalent of Girl Scouts here in the US), whose parents are missionaries in China. We hear about her and her friends and what they go through during this difficult time. The other point of view is from her Girl Guide leader at the school, Elsbeth. Elsbeth is also from the UK, having come to China to escape the pain she was suffering in her personal life back home. It’s very interesting to get these two points of view as the adults in the story see and know more and deal with different situations than the children. The children, while more innocent, have their own suffering and heartbreak. All of them need to be strong and resilient to get through this and rely a lot on each other to keep them going.
A full story from before the Japanese invasion, to the time they spent in the internment camp, to their liberation, and to an epilogue wrapping up their lives beyond the war, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
I have loved Hazel Gaynor’s other books and was not disappointed in reading this one. It is an incredible story of a boarding school in China compromised of children of missionaries and diplomats. The children come from various places including the U.K. and the U.S. Once Japan takes control of China, the children and their teachers are now essentially prisoners of the Japanese. The story is told from two points of view. The first being the interpretation of the events from a young girl, Nancy who describes the events through the mind of a child. Nancy is a Girl Guide from the U.K., (the UK equivalent of Girl Scouts here in the US), whose parents are missionaries in China. We hear about her and her friends and what they go through during this difficult time. The other point of view is from her Girl Guide leader at the school, Elsbeth. Elsbeth is also from the UK, having come to China to escape the pain she was suffering in her personal life back home. It’s very interesting to get these two points of view as the adults in the story see and know more and deal with different situations than the children. The children, while more innocent, have their own suffering and heartbreak. All of them need to be strong and resilient to get through this and rely a lot on each other to keep them going.
A full story from before the Japanese invasion, to the time they spent in the internment camp, to their liberation, and to an epilogue wrapping up their lives beyond the war, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
I always like Hazel Gaynor books and I particularly enjoyed this one. Like many of her books, this one goes back in time. Nancy Plummer, now a grown woman, was a young girl at the time of WWII, when she was in a boarding school in China for children of missionaries. Elspeth Kent was one of her teachers and the leader of her Girl Guides group. Japan is at war with China, and takes over the school. The children and staff are sent to another school, and eventually, to an internment camp. I've read of the concentration camps in Germany, and of the Japanese interment camps here in the U.S., and I'd even read of the POW camps in which Japan held military prisoners. But I had not read of the interment of civilians by the Japanese, so I learned something new, a mark of good historical fiction!
One thing I really liked about the book is that while conditions were bleak and the Japanese soldiers were often cruel, the author also showed us that there is another side. Sometimes the guards could be quite humane! I also enjoyed how the prisoners pulled together to keep everyone's spirits up. I also appreciated that there was an epilogue to bring up up to date on some of the characters. I would like to have known the fate of some of the guards, but then that probably would have been unrealistic since the prisoners most likely didn't befriend the guards afterwards.
If you are looking for a quick read that may teach yo a little history, this is the book for you!
I received an advance copy of this book through the Library Think Early Reviewers program.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
One thing I really liked about the book is that while conditions were bleak and the Japanese soldiers were often cruel, the author also showed us that there is another side. Sometimes the guards could be quite humane! I also enjoyed how the prisoners pulled together to keep everyone's spirits up. I also appreciated that there was an epilogue to bring up up to date on some of the characters. I would like to have known the fate of some of the guards, but then that probably would have been unrealistic since the prisoners most likely didn't befriend the guards afterwards.
If you are looking for a quick read that may teach yo a little history, this is the book for you!
I received an advance copy of this book through the Library Think Early Reviewers program.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars