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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I received this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. Although I haven't read much historical fiction, I did enjoy this novel. Most of what I've learned about the WWII years has been about Europe, and I had no knowledge of the internment camps in China. From that perspective, I found the novel extremely interesting. I liked the alternating passages by Elspeth and Nancy. They have very distinct voices, and I immediately knew which one was sharing her memories. At times, I did find that these characters were so good; they even got discouraged in a very proper way; in that respect, they were slightly less believable. Nevertheless, I found that I really liked these characters, empathized with what they went through, and stayed interested throughout in what happened to them both during the war and afterward.
Listened to this on Audible, it was very predictable and seemed almost like a YA novel. Repetitive. Didn’t love it.
I absolutely loved this book! Based on real events during WWII and heavily referencing Girl Guides it was a joy to read despite the difficult subject matter.
Anytime a book makes me research during and after reading means it has really captured me. This one will stay with me for a while.
Anytime a book makes me research during and after reading means it has really captured me. This one will stay with me for a while.
The Chefoo School, in Northern China, is home to privileged British and American children of missionaries and diplomats. In 1941, Nancy Plummer (“Plum”) and her brother are students there and teacher Elspeth Kent has insured Plum’s mother that she will take special care of the young girl. The Japanese have overtaken China and the lives of the students and teachers are going to change forever.
When We Were Young & Brave starts in 1975 with Nancy looking back at her time during the war. This moving book is told through the eyes of Nancy and Elspeth, who develop a close bond. In addition to their studies, Elspeth has formed a troop of Brownies/Girl Guides (comparable to the Girl Scouts in the U.S.) which teaches Nancy and her friends leadership and life skills. Once England and the United States declare war on Japan, the school is overtaken and the students and teachers are their prisoners. Life in the school is able to continue with Japanese soldiers watching over them. They eventually are transported to a Civilian Assembly Center, otherwise known as an internment camp, where the children and teachers are living with others deemed as enemies of Japan. Life becomes progressively worse for everyone. The children and teachers rely on one another to survive as they are met with lack of food, sickness and extreme cruelty.
When We Were Young & Brave shines a light on a rarely told, heartbreaking side of the war. And seeing the war through the eyes of a young girl was particularly powerful. Nancy and Elspeth were two very appealing characters who show courage and resiliency. This was a very beautiful and worthwhile read inspired by the author's own family's personal story.
Many thanks to William Morrow / HarperCollins, NetGalley and author Hazel Gaynor for a copy of When We Were Young & Brave in advance of its October 6, 2020 publication date.
Get your Kleenex ready.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
When We Were Young & Brave starts in 1975 with Nancy looking back at her time during the war. This moving book is told through the eyes of Nancy and Elspeth, who develop a close bond. In addition to their studies, Elspeth has formed a troop of Brownies/Girl Guides (comparable to the Girl Scouts in the U.S.) which teaches Nancy and her friends leadership and life skills. Once England and the United States declare war on Japan, the school is overtaken and the students and teachers are their prisoners. Life in the school is able to continue with Japanese soldiers watching over them. They eventually are transported to a Civilian Assembly Center, otherwise known as an internment camp, where the children and teachers are living with others deemed as enemies of Japan. Life becomes progressively worse for everyone. The children and teachers rely on one another to survive as they are met with lack of food, sickness and extreme cruelty.
When We Were Young & Brave shines a light on a rarely told, heartbreaking side of the war. And seeing the war through the eyes of a young girl was particularly powerful. Nancy and Elspeth were two very appealing characters who show courage and resiliency. This was a very beautiful and worthwhile read inspired by the author's own family's personal story.
Many thanks to William Morrow / HarperCollins, NetGalley and author Hazel Gaynor for a copy of When We Were Young & Brave in advance of its October 6, 2020 publication date.
Get your Kleenex ready.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
A good story about something I knew little about: children in a missionary school in China during WWII.
You know I have a special interest in WWII stories and a lot of my all-time favorite books are stories of survival and bravery and strength, especially in women and/or children. Admittedly, most of 1940’s books are set in the Nazi empire (as seems obvious) and so I never really thought to explore those caught in the affects of the war outside of that geography.
Enter this book. Set in China and inspired by the true events surrounding the Japanese Army’s internment of teachers and children from a British-run missionary school, you’ll love the perspectives of Ms. Kent, one of the young teachers, and Nancy Plummer, a ten-year-old student.
Books like this make me wonder how brave and strong and resilient and courageous I would be. Humans are amazing. (Except those who are selfish and abusive and power-hungry and terrible. They are not amazing.)
Enter this book. Set in China and inspired by the true events surrounding the Japanese Army’s internment of teachers and children from a British-run missionary school, you’ll love the perspectives of Ms. Kent, one of the young teachers, and Nancy Plummer, a ten-year-old student.
Books like this make me wonder how brave and strong and resilient and courageous I would be. Humans are amazing. (Except those who are selfish and abusive and power-hungry and terrible. They are not amazing.)
I stopped reading after ~150 pages. It was interesting, and well written; frankly, I'll admit I was looking for reasons to stop and move on to other reads (as my TBR file is, well, crazy lol, with other books I'm more excited to pursue). At one point I flipped ahead for a general idea of upcoming events, and saw there was an (albeit very minimally described) rape scene. That overshadowed the read enough that I couldn't enjoy it anymore, knowing what was coming.
I kind of wish I'd flipped further past that scene, just to see character denouement. But, beyond the aforementioned scene (which already is at odds with my personal content policy), I've been feeling convicted lately on what I spend my time reading and whether it's truly edifying. Not planning to revisit this one.
I kind of wish I'd flipped further past that scene, just to see character denouement. But, beyond the aforementioned scene (which already is at odds with my personal content policy), I've been feeling convicted lately on what I spend my time reading and whether it's truly edifying. Not planning to revisit this one.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
It seems silly to compare our current predicament with the pandemic to anything that people interred during a world war went through, but it does help to put things in perspective. This story starts out very sweet and simple, and at first I thought it might fall short of capturing a true depiction of life as a POW, which I can only attempt to imagine. As it progresses and the years pass, however, you see how maintaining any sense of normalcy is actually the biggest battle. This is a story of resiliency and triumph, which you can’t truly have without trial, despair, and loss. Another great book by Ms. Gaynor.